#but I’m scared of anything else being taken VERY WRONGLY so. ending it for now with a

[hershelwidget]

I also have for your consideration: Louise Belcher, aka the first character I ever kinned (I was 4-5 years old)

[zintranslations]

Kaleidoscope of Death, Ch. 117

Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zixu Link to Chinese / Novel Updates

Chapter 117: Are You Angry?

"So what about my stethoscope?"

Xiao Ji didn't seem scared at all of Lin Qiushi's suspicions, asking his question sharply in return.

"You used the stethoscope this morning, right?" Lin Qiushi asked.

Xiao Ji didn't answer yes or no; keenly, he'd detected that Lin Qiushi's question was a trap, so he didn't speak.

However, Xiao Mei sat beside him spoke up calmly: "Yes, he used the stethoscope to open a chest this morning. Someone else saw it too."

She pointed at a person in the crowd.

The person Xiao Mei was pointing to nodded, indicating that Xiao Mei wasn't lying.

"When I passed by the living room today I saw Xiao Ji opening a chest. He also used the stethoscope."

"Ah, so that means your stethoscope is currently operational?" Lin Qiushi said. "If there are no problems, may I have a look at it?"

With a scoff, Xiao Ji took the stethoscope from his neck and tossed it to Lin Qiushi.

"I'd like to see what you're trying to sell here."

Lin Qiushi took the stethoscope.

"Xiao Mei, you haven't eaten, right?"

Xiao Mei nodded, and spoke with indifference: "Yes. Xiao Ji heard a Hakobito yesterday, so I didn't eat anything."

This wasn't a strange turn of events, in fact was quite normal. The number of Hakobito had gradually increased, after all. It would be odder if, from the start until now, Xiao Ji had never encountered a Hakobito.

"Mh, if it can hear the Hakobito's movements, that means this stethoscope definitely works," Lin Qiushi said. "Let's give it a try then."

He put on the stethoscope and picked a random person beside him, pressing the stethoscope to his own chest[1]. As expected, the stethoscope that should've allowed him to hear something did not pick up any sounds; the end that went into the ears was completely silent.

"I can't hear anything," Lin Qiushi said. "You all can try it too."

He tossed the stethoscope to somebody else.

Another person picked up the stethoscope, and after carefully listening, confirmed that there was nothing audible inside.

Xiao Ji's expression went cold. He said, "you want me condemned based on just that?"

Lin Qiushi shrugged.

"Your stethoscope's broken, so how did you hear sounds from inside the chests?"

Xiao Ji lifted his chin.

"And here I thought you'd have some way to prove I'm guilty. Well sorry, but I've already tried it before. This stethoscope is special. It can't hear human heartbeats at all."

Lin Qiushi's lips curved up.

"Oh? You sure?"

Xiao Ji, "props inside the door are different from stuff outside to begin with. Yu Linlin, you're not thinking of besmirching me with this in order to take my stethoscope from me, are you?!"

He banged on the table violently, seemingly on the verge of a fit over being so wrongly accused.

Lin Qiushi asked, "you're sure that this stethoscope can't hear heartbeats, and that it's just a special item?"

"What? You saying you know my item better than me?"

Xiao Ji was locked in on this answer. After all, the stethoscope's always been on him. He could say whatever he wanted about it and nobody could do a thing.

But Lin Qiushi took the stethoscope back in hand with a sigh.

"What a shame. If you hadn't said that, I really don't know what I would've done."

And as he spoke, he began taking apart the stethoscope.

The earpieces on the stethoscope had metal rings that could be twisted off, with special sound-amplifying discs installed inside. However, when Lin Qiushi twisted one of the rings apart and removed the disc, everybody looking at the stethoscope grew shocked—because the space behind the disc had been stuffed with a wad of solid cotton, firmly blockading the path of sound transmission. Of course it hadn’t been able to hear a thing.

When Xiao Ji first saw the cotton, he froze. Then, expression drastically changing, he roared, "who said you could take my stethoscope apart—"

He lunged in front of Lin Qiushi, trying to take the stethoscope back, but Sun Yuanzhou, already standing ready beside him, held him back.

Xiao Ji saw that he could no longer get his hands on the stethoscope and began to cuss. It wasn’t difficult to see that the intensity of his reaction was weird.

Faced with Xiao Ji's threats and insults, Lin Qiushi remained impassive. He calmly removed the cotton and put the stethoscope back together. This time, with the stethoscope's amplifier placed on his chest, a heartbeat could be clearly and readily heard.

Lin Qiushi laughed, "this is what you used to distinguish whether a chest contained a box person? Very impressive."

Xiao Mei joined him with a sneer. Since the death of her lover, an irreversible change had taken place in her body that had completely expelled the awkwardness and timidity of a newbie and made her incomparably cold.

When he saw such an interaction between Lin Qiushi and Xiao Mei, Xiao Ji finally cottoned on, shooting Xiao Mei a vicious glare.

"You betrayed me?" he spat. "Fucking bitch—you stuffed my stethoscope with cotton?!"

Xiao Mei's arms wrapped around her chest as she watched Xiao Ji coolly.

"And what if I did?"

"Why the fuck did you sell me out??" Xiao Ji asked. "I'm the one who helped you kill Wei Xiude—"

At this, Xiao Mei began to laugh, loud and hard enough for tears to fall. She wiped the corners of her eyes and said, "are you that simple? You helped me? Weren't you just helping yourself? Besides…"

Her voice grew brutal, and her tone was like it wanted to tear a piece skin off Xiao Ji's body itself.

"The Hako Onna killed my lover, and you're working with her?! You deserve to die!!"  

Xiao Ji was panting, so angry that his eyes went red.

In order to prevent him from getting away, someone else fetched ropes and tied him down. Lin Qiushi put the stethoscope back together and set it on the table.

"Anything else you'd like to say?" he asked.

Xiao Ji gritted his teeth, and sneered.

"Hah, so what if it was me? Kill me if you can."

He truly hadn't been relying on the stethoscope to determine whether or not there were people in the chests, because he was required to open three chests per day and could only listen to the Hako Onna's directions when doing so in order to avoid any errors.

If he hadn't told them that the chest Xiao Mei wanted to open yesterday contained a Hakobito, he might have been able to make an argument for himself. The way things looked now though, these people seemed to have suspected him for a very long time.

"What a shame. You really think I can’t kill you?" Lin Qiushi stood up and walked in front of Xiao Ji, head down and staring. "There will be plenty of ways."

Xiao Ji first shivered at Lin Qiushi's gaze, but then grew angry at his own reaction. Teeth bared, he laughed,

"Hahahah, you're pathetic too! So what if you kill me? If you kill me your lover's going to come back to life? She's already dead—she died last night, the Hako Onna killed her—didn't you want to ask where the fire extinguisher is? Let me tell you, I was the one who hid it. I hid it in a chest, and so none of you will ever find it!"

Before Lin Qiushi could even move, Xiao Mei's foot came flying in from the side. She kicked Xiao Ji straight to the ground, and then ground Xiao Ji's hand viciously underfoot.

"It's all your fault," she screamed, "it's your fault he's dead. You're the monster, you're the monster who sided with the demons!! Die!!”

"Xiao Mei, calm down!" Sun Yuanzhou rushed to grab hold of her, worried that she was going to do something out of control. Though it'd be a way to get the anger out, she'd pay for it with her life.

"I know." Xiao Mei halted, and spoke icily: "I know. I won't die. I'm going to live. I'm going to live for him."

Reaching up, she wiped away her tears, and her tone went quiet.

"I was supposed to be the one who opened that chest…"

When he heard her, however, Xiao Ji only started laughing—big hearty hahaha’s. He turned to Lin Qiushi with malice in his gaze and horrible words at the ready, planning on further provoking these two about their dead lovers, when there came the sound of light footsteps at the door, followed by a laughing voice that said:

"Who told you I was dead?"

Everyone jolted and looked up toward the door—they saw that Ruan Nanzhu, who should have died the night before, had appeared before them. Ruan Nanzhu looked back at everyone with a smile, slowly trodding before Lin Qiushi before saying: "Honey, I'm home."

Lin Qiushi looked at him and didn't speak.

While he didn't answer, Xiao Ji began a piercing scream: "No way, no way, how could you have survived—No way!!"

Killing Ruan Nanzhu had been his most successful move. Not only had he buried the key, but he had also destroyed an item that could kill the Hako Onna. But this person who should've died had suddenly appeared before him, whole and hale!

"Kiddo, you want to know why veterans don't like jumping newbies through too many doors?" Ruan Nanzhu was watching him with eyes full of pity. "Because only by passing the previous doors do us veterans get the cards up our sleeves. You really think all those doors are for nothing?"

Lin Qiushi stood next to Ruan Nanzhu, sizing up the person beside him. He spotted a red circle newly marking Ruan Nanzhu's wrist—it looked as if it had been tattooed on, and made for a particularly piercing sight on the pale skin.

"Take a look. Aren't I perfectly fine?" Ruan Nanzhu spoke to Xiao Ji. "Are you surprised? Is your mind blown?"

Xiao Ji trembled, so angry he could pass out.

"Holy fuck Zhu Meng, how the hell did you survive!" When she saw Ruan Nanzhu, Liang Miye too was astonished. Now she was asking the question everybody wanted to ask. "You, weren't you…"

"I told you, I've got cards up my sleeve," Ruan Nanzhu said. "No need to worry…"

He peered at Lin Qiushi as he spoke, but found Lin Qiushi utterly expressionless and ignoring him completely—and in his mind he began to curse.

"Let's get the fire extinguisher's location out of him first," Lin Qiushi said. "That's more important."

"Let me do it," Xiao Mei spoke warmly, twirling at a strand of hair by her ear. "I guarantee that when I get the answer from him, he'll still be alive."

"What are you going to do?!" Xiao Ji was terrified by the look in Xiao Mei's eyes, and began to cuss again, a whole series of really bad words. When Xiao Mei seemed unmoved, he tried appealing to pathos once more: "Xiao Mei, I really do like you! Or I wouldn't have helped you kill Wei Xiude!"

But Xiao Mei only laughed.

"Hah, kill Wei Xiude?" She spoke without much emotion at all. "Of course a dumb newbie would be easier to control than a wily veteran. Plus, I don't believe you would've let me go."

Since Xiao Ji and the Hako Onna had come to an arrangement, he definitely would've killed everybody else inside the door in order to prevent the Hako Onna from going back on her word, so he'd be protected by the rule of the doors. Xiao Mei would've really been stupid if she'd believed his nonsense.

This, Xiao Mei was quite clear on. It was also why she chose to cooperate with Lin Qiushi.

After that, Xiao Mei looked toward Ruan Nanzhu.

"I really thought you were dead."

Ruan Nanzhu just smiled, noncommittal.

After that, other people began interrogating Xiao Ji about the location of the hidden fire extinguisher. Lin Qiushi sat at the side, not saying much. As a matter of fact ever since Ruan Nanzhu returned, Lin Qiushi hadn't said anything to him at all.

Ruan Nanzhu was still smiling and teasing Lin Qiushi at first. Only a bit later did he realize something was wrong, and quickly called Lin Qiushi outside for them to speak alone.

Lin Qiushi followed Ruan Nanzhu impassively out to a side room and said, "go ahead. What did you want to say?"

"Linlin, are you angry?" Ruan Nanzhu made that pretty face of his all sad and pitiful as he whimpered, "don't be angry with me, please?"

Truthfully, on any other day, Lin Qiushi's anger likely wouldn't have lasted after seeing Ruan Nanzhu like this. But today, he only huffed once, unfeeling and equivocal.

"Linlin, Linlin…" Ruan Nanzhu said. "Don't be angry anymore, I feel so bad when I see you’re upset."

He took Lin Qiushi's hands and carefully pecked at the corners of Lin Qiushi's mouth.

"Please?"

Lin Qiushi was unmoved.

"Let me just ask you one question."

Ruan Nanzhu, "mh."

Lin Qiushi, "were you sure you'd survive?"

Ruan Nanzhu said, "of course I was s—"

But before he'd even finished speaking Lin Qiushi cut him off—and with suppressed rage on the brink of breaking through the dam, Lin Qiushi called out Ruan Nanzhu's full name.

"Ruan Nanzhu, after all that, you're still going to fucking lie to me?!"

"Linlin, I really did have a way out," Ruan Nanzhu said. "Remember the 'Humans as Mirror" door, when I gave you that red bracelet inside? That bracelet can offset three supernatural attacks…"

He held out his wrist, showing Lin Qiushi that bright red mark on his arm.

"See? Aren't I perfectly fine?"

As he spoke, he smiled cajolingly at Lin Qiushi. But at this explanation, Lin Qiushi only scoffed.

"If you really knew you were going to live, would you have put the key and wooden stake together?" He grew angrier and angrier, until his last words were basically suppressed shouting. "You're just going to play me like I'm some kind of idiot?"

Ruan Nanzhu wanted to explain further, but Lin Qiushi was done listening. He said, "we'll talk about this more outside. I'm not in a good mood right now, if we keep talking, I really will get angry with you."

After that, he turned and left, giving Ruan Nanzhu no further opportunity to explain himself.

Ruan Nanzhu groaned without sound.

Back then, Lin Qiushi had really thought Ruan Nanzhu was done for. It wasn't until he heard Ruan Nanzhu's farewell—"Yu Linlin, I love you"—that Lin Qiushi came to knowledge. He'd understood in a split instant.

If Ruan Nanzhu really thought he was going to die, then when he gave his last confession, he would've at least called out Lin Qiushi's real name, not "Yu Linlin."

Lin Qiushi, once he understood everything, had steadied his crumbling emotional state. He also took all his fury for Ruan Nanzhu and buried it deep within himself.

On the other end, the interrogation had yielded results—Xiao Ji told them where the fire extinguisher was hidden. As for what method Xiao Mei used, Lin Qiushi didn't ask. He wasn't kind enough to forgive somebody who almost got Ruan Nanzhu killed; not taking care of Xiao Ji himself had been his last act of tolerance.

Xiao Ji confessed to everything. He said that immediately after he got here, he'd made a deal with the Hako Onna. He’d gotten a lot luckier than the dead Tian Guxue; the moment he entered the door he'd received the item set on the table and also the hidden rulebook.

Of course, to prevent other people from suspecting him, he'd hidden the item in one of the chests in the living room. Then, after reading the rulebook, he'd put the rulebook away in a corner of the dining room.

After that, Xiao Ji opened three chests in a row before everybody's eyes. He'd opened up the item and one of the Hako Onna's powers to boot.

As for Tian Guxue, she was entirely a smokescreen that the Hako Onna cooked up. Back when Ruan Nanzhu was having suspicions about Tian Guxue, he'd felt something was off, because Tian Guxue hadn't seem anywhere clever enough to be a competent partner. Sure enough, right behind her had been the better player Xiao Ji, who'd been so much better that nobody even suspected him.

But when the unexpected happened to Ruan Nanzhu, it prompted Lin Qiushi to start thinking about all this. He contacted Xiao Mei in private and got her to tamper with Xiao Ji's stethoscope. Then he'd gotten quite lucky—Xiao Ji immediately exposed himself and allowed Lin Qiushi to confirm that he was the mole.

Everything had gone smoothly, aside from the person who'd lied to him.

Ruan Nanzhu—he must have already guessed there was a second mole. He'd even predicted that the second mole would target him, and in order to leave Lin Qiushi out of danger, he’d hidden everything and directed two of Hako Onna's powers onto himself. The reality was that everything Ruan Nanzhu did bore risk; even if he'd been eighty percent sure the bracelet could weather damage from the Hako Onna, there was still that twenty percent uncertainty. That was why he decided to leave behind the key and item, shutting himself up alone in Tian Guxue's room.

Lin Qiushi understood all the logic, but he still couldn't control his anger. The moment he thought about Ruan Nanzhu dying alone in that room without even a body to recover, he found it so damn difficult to bear.

"Are you two alright?" When the two came back out, the peculiar atmosphere between them was worrying, so Liang Miye asked a quiet word or two.

"We're fine," Lin Qiushi answered coolly. "What could possibly be wrong?"

Liang Miye, "…" Y'all sure don't look fine. And this was the first time she's seen such an ingratiating expression on Ruan Nanzhu's face.

"Baby are you hungry?"

"No."

"Baby are you thirsty?"

"No."

"Baby—"

"Don't call me baby."

"Linlin…"

"Shut up."

The above was their dialogue, and everyone around them listening in began to look queer; Sun Yuanzhou forced down a laugh and cleared his throat a couple of times before saying you two sure are cute together, but this was no time to flirt. Let's talk about the matter of the Hako Onna first.

How to get the items, how to kill the Hako Onna and get out of here—these were the most important matters at hand.

"We have at most six days," Ruan Nanzhu said. "After six days, the Hako Onna can probably activate 'I'm Behind You' again. If we're not out by then…well, we might never get out."

"The item we have right now that can kill the Hako Onna is the wooden stake. Once we figure out the Hako Onna's location we can hit her with it, and for her to use a power, she has to cry." Sun Yuanzhou too had straightened out his thoughts. "As long as we wait…"

"That's right," Ruan Nanzhu said. "But the stake can only be used once, and if we use it in the wrong place, we'll have lost a critical opportunity." The wooden stake had to be used prior to opening a chest. He continued, "I haven't used the gasoline we put through the door either. This is also a key item."

"Mh, we just don't know if there's any notable difference between the Hako Onna's chest and the Hakobito’s," Lin Qiushi said. "If the stethoscope can tell the difference between those two, that's for the best. If it can't, then things will be a bit more difficult."

By the current look of things, when the Hako Onna cried, they could only confirm which room she was in, not which specific chest.

So there was still risk in it for them.

"Finding more items would be safer," Ruan Nanzhu said, "but time isn't waiting for us."

Everybody began to ponder the matter.

Today, the Hako Onna seemed to have realized that things weren't looking good, and so didn't use a power or cry aloud. Lin Qiushi could only confirm the Hako Onna was on the first floor, but didn't know a more concrete location.

If the Hako Onna didn't cry, then they could make no progress. They could only wait.

While they waited, Ruan Nanzhu brazenly kept trying to make conversation with Lin Qiushi. At first, Lin Qiushi answered on and off, but after he grew annoyed he didn't even bother replying, just kept his head down and played with his phone.

A resentful expression appeared on Ruan Nanzhu's face; he wanted to be the thing held in Lin Qiushi's hand.

Liang Miye spectated their interactions and held back laughter from the sidelines. Obsidian Leader Ruan Nanzhu was so austere and cold outside the door—who knew he'd be like this inside? Of course, she didn't dare laugh out loud, because if she irritated Ruan Nanzhu and got him truly angry…She wasn't about to get the same treatment as Lin Qiushi.

Lin Qiushi was clearly still angry, and it wasn't just any small upset.

Seeing him like this, Ruan Nanzhu was troubled. He thought that if he couldn't even get Lin Qiushi to come around with an advantage as huge as Zhu Meng inside the door, then it'd be even harder outside the door.

And so going to sleep at night, Ruan Nanzhu crept his way into Lin Qiushi's bed.

"Linlin, I'm scared." The person before him stared with big, dark, beautiful eyes, watching Lin Qiushi all innocently. "Will you sleep with me please?"

Lin Qiushi was impassive: "You're scared?"

Ruan Nanzhu, "yeah."

"That's great. I'm scared too."

With that he got up, leaving Ruan Nanzhu on the bed, and switched over to Ruan Nanzhu's bed.

Ruan Nanzhu, "…" Oh crap, oh crap, his dearest Linlin was actually angry, and of the type that couldn't even be sweet-talked.

Author's Note:

Ruan Nanzhu: Are you angry?

Lin Qiushi: No.

Ruan Nanzhu: Are you angry?

Lin Qiushi: No.

Ruan Nanzhu: Are y—

Lin Qiushi: Ask me again and I will kill you.

Ruan Nanzhu: _(:з」∠)_

The Daily Life of Popuruan and Pipilin[2] hahahaha

Translator’s Note:

That’s definitely what the Chinese said so I’m wondering if there’s a typo. LQS grabbed someone in the group, but put the stethoscope to his own chest and listened to the stethoscope himself.

“The Daily Life of Popuko and Pipimi” is the Chinese title of Pop Team Epic

[Ch. 116] | [Ch. 118]

[sidespromptblog]

Between the Mask: Part 1

Two, Three, and End

Warnings: Angst (Just general nothing too spicy), mentions of masking to an unhealthy degree, Logan is sad, Janus is sad, Roman is sad, food mention, and miscommunication via the light sides.

Word Count: 3015

Summary: Roman confronts Janus about how exactly Roman should act around him, after being told by the others that both being nice and mean to him is wrong. Only to discover that, after everything he’s been through Janus isn’t the person he portrays in front of everyone else.

AO3 LINK

All of it was driving Roman crazy.

Ever since his most recent interaction with Dece… Janus, the looks that he’d received from the others had slowly been driving him mad. Out of everyone he would have at least expected Virgil to understand where he was coming from, especially considering his seemingly rough behavior around Janus.

But no!

The moment that Patton had told Virgil just how Roman had reacted to the news of Janus’ he might as well have been dead to the anxious side, given the way that he had looked at him upon hearing the exact words that Roman had so carelessly spouted off. The snarl had curled on the anxious sides lips wasn’t one that he was bound to forget for a long time to come, especially when paired with the almost betrayed look that the other side had shot him. Roman got it, he really did. Names weren’t to be made fun of around Virgil, but with all the stress that been piling and piling since the wedding it had kind of...

Slipped out.

He hadn’t meant it, or maybe.. maybe he had. for whatever reason Janus’ mere presence had a way of making the truth slip right out of him without even giving it a second thought.

It was infuriating.

That wasn’t even the worst part, to top it off with Virgil avoiding him like the plague now, Logan virtually wasn’t even around anymore. He barely even saw a glimpse of him in the past week alone, in compared to the landslide of facts that always seemed to flow out of the nerdy side once he had something to show all of them. From the looks of it aside from when he was called into the conversation none of the others had been seeing him all that often either, or when he was just made to come down for dinner Logan was just… gone. In his room not backing Roman up in the slightest bit anymore, leaving him to battle a dying fight with no support.

He honestly didn’t get it anymore.

First they get upset at him for siding with Janus and wanting to give him a chance to speak, and then… Now they want him to be treated as if he hadn’t been a bad guy to begin with. Virgil had hissed at him multiple times, and that’s not even counting the times that Patton and him had screamed at him when he popped up like a little snakey weasel.

He just didn’t get it, it felt like no matter how he tried to resolve the issue he was always heading in the right direction, just at the wrong time when it came to the others.

So he was going to put an end to this turmoil once and for all.

“Deceit!” He practically roared as he slammed the door open more than a little dramatically, “I-“

Whatever words had been on his lips abruptly died all at once.

Whatever he had been expecting from Janus’ room... this most certainly was not it. Whatever cold den of debortuary he had been thinking of, this was definitely not it. The crackling of a warm fireplace surrounded by bookcases full to the brim with old dusty books, who’s spines had been well loved and taken care of. The rug under his feet was shaggy and equally as warm as the air, making Roman’s bare toes sink right into it. For a second he had forgotten just what time it was, as with the atmosphere of Janus’ room it felt almost timeless in a sense. Where it could have been anything from the middle of the night to the early early morning where the sun hadn’t even risen yet.

The drapes were a gorgeous deep maroon color that only served to make the room feel even warmer and cozier.

There wasn’t a single hint of yellow in the entire room.

Was this even Janus’ room?

“I believe,” A familiar voice drawled out from the side, “My name is Janus, not Deceit. Roman.”

Sitting nestled comfortably in a little reading nook was the side in question, a book sprawled out onto his lap and a simple cup of tea on the nightstand next to him and a tiny jar of honey next to it. He looked so.. so cozy sitting there among the fuzzy blankets sprawled all around him, and a pair of reading glasses on the tip of his nose. Had Roman only gotten a glance at him, he would have mistaken him for Logan just based on looks alone. But the coy smile smile said it all, as the mismatched eyes glimmered playfully behind those glasses.

“Well?” Janus stuck a loose bookmark in his book effectively halting his reading, and also showing that all of his attention was directed at Roman and Roman alone. “To what do I owe the please Princey? It is somewhat of a surprise given how our last meeting ended, come for revenge or perhaps just to throw more insults?”

Out of everything Roman was just at a loss, he had felt so sure as to what he was walking into. He was sure that whenever he busted down Janus’ door he’d find some creepy room that would almost certainly match Virgil’s for edginess. To see all this was certainly a surprise for him, if anything it left him feeling absolutely foolish as he once again judged one of the dark sides wrongly and was left to clean up after his incredibly long list of mistakes.

Even with all those thoughts rumbling around in his head it didn’t stop the words that left his mouth, “Are you sure that you’re Janus?” He suspiciously asked, narrowing his eyes at the comfortable looking snake side before him. “You seem too…”

Happy?

Comfortable?

Nice?

Not evil?

There were so many words that Roman wanted to use, and so many words that he didn’t exactly have the name for. He wasn’t exactly Logan, so there was no placing definitions to feelings here.

Not that Logan could help in that capacity even if he wanted to.

“Contrary to popular belief, but... How I act in front of Thomas is not how I am in real life. I do have hobbies and interests outside of your little gaggle of friends you know. You guys don’t exactly take up my every waking thoughts." Janus drawled, as he languidly stirred in a spoonful of honey to his tea before taking a long drawn out sip. “I do have standards.”

The long was more than enough sip for Roman to collect his thoughts.

Mostly he was confused, he hated being confused more than anything. It made him feel like he was back in middle school struggling to grasp the complicated problems that Logan seemingly had no issues with. It made him feel dumb. "So what do you really act like?" He felt like he was being more than a little demanding towards the side who’s time he had interrupted, but after the time he'd had after Janus' had come out with his name... He almost felt like he deserved to be, given the silence that had enveloped him in the past week. "Why act like that in front of Thomas?! Or us for that matter?! Why would you need to-"

"Would you have listened?" Janus' cool but comforting voice stopped him gently, leaving his mouth to gape openly for a moment at the loss of words. "How else was I going to be listened to? And not immediately turned away from all of you? Or worse… just ridiculed?"

And just like that Roman was struck with the sight of Logan's face.

His face with a brilliantly bright smile that had did nothing but dim to a scowl the longer they had been introduced to Thomas. Logan who hadn’t been around since Patton had skipped him, since he had chosen ignorance over whatever Logan was going to say, and since… just everything involving all of them. Logan hadn’t ducked out yet, since Thomas still seemed to be fine. But even if he did there wasn’t anyway for them to know if it would even impact Thomas at all, especially given that he had done it before with the fiasco that was going to Patton’s room.

It had been such a long time since Logan had come to him for Spanish lessons, and even longer since he’s seen Logan smile genuinely.

Logan still hasn't had that astronomy class that he had been promised.

Logan who'd felt the need to change who he was for Thomas.

Logan who had changed for all of them.

Something uncomfortable tugged sharply, like a shard of broken glass, in Roman's chest.

Janus' face was lined with scales and the dark shadows of sleepless nights that should have been avoided. His posture was one of exhausted dignity, that he couldn't even bother to uphold in front of Roman now that the others weren't in sight. He didn't even have his hat or gloves on, letting Roman see the speckling of scales on his hands as well as the scales that receded into his hairline. The smile on his face wasn't one of calculated resourcefulness, but genuineness.

He seemed so... so...

Relaxed.

That uncomfortable feeling tugged again, this time more insistent than before. "It's Thomas' fault?" He asked, not even sure as to what he was even asking about. He didn't want it to be Thomas' fault, but as the saying went.

One was happenstance, but two...

Two was a pattern.

"No no no!" Janus' rushed to quell his worries, hurriedly standing, sending the mountain of blankets into a landslide around his feet. His hands coming quickly to rest over Roman's, without even having to think twice about it. "I don't think he realizes it himself, but like with Virgil... He only listens once the problem gets bad enough. He shouldn't, but... That is the case for now. I'm trying to stop him from doing that." For the first time Janus' lips quirked into a sad looking frown. "No matter how he sees me, it doesn't matter. I just.. I just want to help."

Within an instant, Roman's hands found Janus' once again giving them a great squeeze. His heart felt so heavy and full he was almost scared that it would burst on impact.

Not only had he severely misjudged Janus', but he hasn't noticed the very thing that Janus was trying to help with.

If anything he'd made the problem worse in the beginning.

“Thomas… isn’t ready for the real me yet.” Janus murmured, gazing almost longingly down at Roman’s hands as he gave them a testing squeeze. “I don’t know if he ever will be honestly.”

And just like that, Roman felt the temperature of the room shift a little, getting colder as the warm comforting fire died down a little. As if to coincide with the feelings bottled up in Janus’ heart that couldn’t yet be said, and with the change in temperature Janus reluctantly released Roman’s hands in an effort to snag one of blankets to protect himself from the cold he knew so well. By this point Janus was used to the cold, he’d grown up in it and he’d received plenty of it when he’d made himself known to Thomas and everyone else.

This cold was nothing.

But still watching Janus swaddle himself in blankets in an effort to gather the warmth he had before, was almost heartbreaking.

“Is there.. is there anything that I can do to help?” He began, sounding almost like he was begging. “I can talk to Thomas, or even Patton! We can work something out, I can explain everything to Virgil and he’ll understand!”

Even to his own ears that sounded weak.

They both knew that Virgil was as stubborn as a bull, and had the temper to match when it came to anything involving Janus. The moment that Janus’ name left Roman’s lips he would have nothing to do with it. And Patton… he was still getting used to Janus’ presence, so asking him to do something this big would immediately scare him off for a long time to come, thus further delaying Janus’ plans. Thomas though… Thomas was even more standoffish against Janus being a part of anything, just getting Thomas to relax after the wedding had taken a whole day for Janus to manipulate things into place.

They wouldn’t listen to Janus, let alone Roman after the fight they’d had against one another.

Especially not so soon.

So was it just useless then? Was he just supposed to leave Janus here lying about who he was to everyone in the hopes that one day he’d be accepted enough to come out?

A deep frown tugged at Roman’s lips, “So you’re just going to keep masking around the others? Until what? Where’s the end for you? When will it finally stop? When will you be able to show them this place? Or just show them that you’re not who they fear you to be?”

Who was to say that the moment Janus came out with this, things wouldn’t immediately revert to how they had been before?

What then?

A deep sigh withered whatever spark of hope that Roman had left. “It’s okay Roman,” Janus placatingly told him. “It’s just how it has to be for a little while, and then things will get better… for all of us.”

No.

That was not going to stand.

No matter how comfortable Janus was with this, he didn’t want to be. Had he not stopped to question the back and forth of what exactly the others wanted… he likely would have started twisting himself to fit whatever fashion they wanted in the moment. Changing just so Thomas could be happy for the time being, even if it wasn’t what would benefit Thomas in the long run.

The fire in the room blazed a little brighter.

“No.” Roman sternly said, snapping Janus’ attention from the cover of his book that he had gone back to looking at. “I’m not going to just leave you now that you’ve explained everything. You aren’t happy, even if you’ve told yourself you should be. Just because things are better than they were before, doesn’t mean that it’s okay. It just means that you won’t notice when someone else is treating you wrongly.”

With that having been said, Roman turned on his heel his stomach twisting at the utterly shocked and baffled expression on Janus’ face, before he started marching towards the door.

“Where are you going?!” Came Janus’ bewildered call, the quick pattering of feet telling him that Janus was attempting to catch up quickly.

A hand snagged at his shirt attempting to pull him back into the room before he could leave to who knows where. Turning again though to face Janus at the other side’s question, he felt the other’s face solidly collide with his chest before a pair of hands seized his shirt so to not fall backwards from the impact. But not before the creative side looped his arm around the other’s back giving him a brief but very heartfelt squeeze, holding the dishonest side close enough to share his warmth.

As if that alone would stop all of his worries.

Roman treasured that one little second of contact.

“I’m going to get Logan, and were all going to talk like civilized people. We’re going to apologize to each other, and then…” Here Roman paused, taking in the look on Janus’ face. “We’re going to see what we can do to ensure that nobody gets hurt like we have in the past.”

Whatever cool relaxed composure Janus had before, it was gone, as he stared up at the creative side with what felt like a mixture between awe and shock. Out of everything that he had expected to come from Roman’s mouth when he had busted into his room, this.. this was not it. Sure he had expected shouting and yelling, but nothing like this.

A little blossom of pride bloomed within Janus’ chest.

His arms had no trouble finding their way back around Roman, pulling him in for another and much lengthier hug, relishing the warmth that came with it. “I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this before,” Janus mumbled into Roman’s chest, a giddy smile tugging at his lips as he stood on the tips of his toes. “But… you’re really smart. You know that?”

Roman was absolutely sure that he was going to cry now.

Seizing the back of Janus’ shirt, the only thing he could do was hug him tighter. “I think you could mention it a little more often.” He teased, a wet laugh leaving him as the creative side tried to hastily blink away his tears.

He could get used to this Janus.

After what felt like an eternity he pried himself away from Janus, hastily swiping his hands under his eyes before Janus could see the liquid that had started to run down his cheeks. “I’m going to go and get Logan,” He finally settled on, “I’m pretty sure that he needs help, even if he hasn’t said it. He hasn’t exactly been leaving his room lately, and I’m sure its due to how we’ve all been treating him, and how we’ve reacted in the past when his emotions get to be too much for him.” The guilt that tugged at his chest was less painful than it had been before, but still just as present. “I think he needs a hero.”

Janus only nodded, taking a step back into his room. The hearth was blazing behind him, Roman could feel the warmth radiating outwards even from where he was standing a good couple of feet away from the door.

He had brightened up Janus’ spirits towards the present as well as the future, just as he was supposed to do as the epitome of passion. The bright warm smile from the other side told him as such.

“Then go be a hero, Princey.”

[decayandfanfics]

The great book of sayings

PAIRINGS: Tomura Shigaraki x FemReader

SUMMARY: He looks at you, his scarlet eyes fixed on yours, burning a hole through your head, every bit the predator he is, but you are as tough as it gets, so, against your better judgment and any well-founded logic, you answer his silent threat, the animalistic look he gives you with nothing less than a fearless smirk, irises burrowing into his pupils.A clever girl. He thinks, finally labeling you inside his head, cursing himself in the very moment he allows his brain to think of you as more than an asset. He is sure (he knows himself enough to know) he’ll think of this moment many times from now on.A clever pretty girl.

Reader is a typical college student until she gets herself tangled with the league of villains.

WARNINGS: Unhealthy/complicated relationships, violence, Tomura being Tomura, mentions of murder, heroes’ abuse of power, smut later.

A/N: I’m trying so hard to write crusty boy here really in character. At least after AfO is taken. Any misspelled words, english is not my native language so i’m trying Helen.

_______________________________________________________

Chapter 7 / Chapter 8

Familiarity breeds contempt.

Three days became four, then five. The hours flowing between your fingers and before you know it’s been two weeks and three days already.

Not that your will ask them to go. You were pretty sure the little trembling harmony that reigns in your home is as fragile as you decide by asking the wrong question.

To say you are comfortable would be rich, at least. They are a band of murderers, meanwhile you were just a student, but you would be lying if you didn’t accept the fact that the wave of fear had subdue to become some mild annoyance.

The thing is that the famous league of villains is as human as can be. Surely, they are insane, powerful, and menacing, but they also eat, and sleep, and they watch tv and smile when they are happy.

So here you are, getting in tune with their antics. Like how Magne likes to use your flowery shampoo because smells nice and it makes her feel pretty, or that Mr. Compress drinks his milk with honey before sleep.

So, you try your best to remember place and time, but then Toga asks you to paint her nails and asks if she can brush your hair because she wants so desperately to be your friend that something in your heart breaks a little when you remember that she’s just an abandoned child, with no other feminine figure to guide her. (Magne does what she can, but she also faces different kinds of struggle.)

Something in you began to soften to them and you simply cannot help it. Maybe is the little girl in you who wanted to be a hero but saw it impossible.

That’s how you end asking Spinner about his swords, both of you watching some tv program about forging historical weapons, and sharing about your parent’s death with Jin, who cries for you and hugs your tightly telling everyone he’s so happy to have a friend like you.

You end up buying vitamins and oranges for them because no one getting scurvy under your watch. Patching their injures and making some fast clinical examination of them, just to discover some of them are underweight, scrawny, and sharp. So, you cook for them, and made two beds in the living room because you’ve always had a soft spot for broken things and lost causes and somehow, you really want to make them feel nice, and you are no longer sure if this is about your survival or theirs.

Then is Tomura.

You can feel the attraction growing wild inside of you. How your eyes look for his figure inside the house and how you care about what he thinks of you or what he likes.

He’s not helping either, not when he insists on playing chess with you between playful back and forth, or sometimes just sits behind you in the kitchen counter to watch you cook. Silent until he’s not, asking “what’s that” when he sees you putting some spices in the pot.

He’s a curious cat. A fast learner and problem solver. Quick to intuition and creativity.

And you like the way his hair falls wet over his shoulders, clearing away from his face after he showers, looking less like a vagabond and more like a boy.

It’s awful and you know it. You can recognize a crush from a mile away and yours is there pulsing alive for everyone to watch.

The sad part is the what if.

Sometimes Toga asks things. Random things about medicine, about history, about books, and you cannot help it but to vomit everything you know about the subject because you are a scholar above everything else.

Those are the moments when Shigaraki will look at you from the corner of his ruby eyes, attentively listening and absorbing anything you say, siting quietly in a corner of the room, playing with his phone. Then he’ll hear something that catches his interest, asking you about it, his questions always interesting and more complex than Toga’s.

It saddens you to think of him as a student. His brilliance shining under the lights of proper education and love. What positive reinforcement and care could have done for him. Not that you know anything about Shigaraki, but there is no way a loving family could produce such person (not when you are more than sure that he’s clinically depressed), so your bets are on violence and abandonment.

What brilliant career could have achieved, what kind of things would he create, instead of just brutal destruction and (you suspect this one) raw self-loathing.

So, you dream of him sometimes.

You can see him wearing more than just a worn-out coat, a backpack hanging from his shoulder and his soft features clean and properly cared for. What he should look without the dry skin, the slouching and the eyebags.

You can imagine him crossing paths with you on campus, siting with you in the cafeteria, laughing youthfully, his persona free of the heavy weight of his wicked gestures, product of a life expended celebrating too much spite.

Maybe you would have meet him in other circumstances. A “friend of a friend” in some shitty party, the kind of boy that smiles when speaking, sharing some smart-ass joke, his witty speech making you laugh, making you fall.

Just like now.  

“so, how do you know a quirk is a mutation?” Toga ask while you read some article in your laptop.

“well, most of them have a base or function as a variety of some primordial quirk. Those that are mutations simple work outside the norm and tend to be very dangerous for the everyone, including the holder, because as the mutation is a completely new expression of genetics, the rest of the body is still adapting to the evolutionary crescendo. That and, well…mutants have a very distinct look because the gene that comes with the mutation, also alters the expression of other common things like melatonin production.”

“Oh! I remember that! We saw it at school…with the Mendeleyev system.”

“exactly!” You say, but Toga isn’t done with the questions and you don’t stop the conversation before-

“so, how do they look? The mutants. How do they look.”

“well, they all have silver hair and red eyes.”

They look at the corner of the kitchen and only then you realize what you’ve done.

“Congratulations, Shigaraki. You are officially a fucking freak.” Dabi says from the couch, but Shigaraki doesn’t answer his provocation. He just keeps playing in his phone, the only sign of acknowledge is an arched brow.

It rubs you wrong. As much as anybody is okay with it, you hate the words that leave his mouth.

Maybe is the fact that he’s making fun of someone’s looks, or maybe is because hearing someone being called a freak sends you back to high school when your classmates told you that you were a fucking creep with that evil quirk of yours (or maybe is the stupid crush speaking) but it makes you angry, so before you can think of it, you spat.

“blue eyes are a mutation too, so you are no one to talk about it.”

Twice laughs at the comeback, but before you could taste your little win, Dabi makes sure to answer back because he’s being dying to fight you the moment he set a foot on your apartment.

“that was bold for a quirkless little bitch.”

You laugh astonished, deciding you will not acknowledge the fact he (very wrongly) thinks you quirkless.

“A quirkless little bitch? Seriously, Dabi? Where you raised in a fucking barn that you know nothing but fuck this and bitch that?

“yeah. I know stupid cunt too.” He barks referring to you.

“Dabi, cut it out.” Shigaraki snaps to no avail.

“Hey! We agree in no insults!” Compress try to quiet the fight down, but neither of you pays attention.

“I’m sure you do. Pretty useful to describe yourself I bet.”

“you sure like to bet, like how you are betting I don’t burn you alive for being an annoying bitch.” He threatens looking at the chess game still on the kitchen table, getting quickly into your nerves.

“Guys-“Toga fails to intercede.

“Fuck off, Dabi. This might be shocking for you, but you don’t scare me.”

“now, that’s pretty fucking stupid of you.”

“Dabi, shut up!” Shigaraki growls done, but you are not paying attention to him, so you keep pushing into the fight.  

“I’m not the one insulting everyone just because I cannot deal with some fucking daddy issues.”

“YOU DON’T KNOW SHIT” he snarls before kicking the little table in your living room, breaking one of its legs.

“CUT IT OUT! I don’t have to know when it’s plainly obvious you have problems with authority.”

“you really think you are so clever, don’t you?” he states, crossing the living room, aiming to you.

“Dabi, get the fuck out!” this time Shigaraki yells.

“I know I am, asshole!”

He stops his tracks, looming over you. His eyes scanning your face before looking at Shigaraki, who suddenly stands beside you.

Dabi laughs darkly.

“stupid woman. You should know better.”

And then…he just slaps your laptop out of the table; the computer smashing open against the cemented ground.

Chapter 9

[dixielis]

An Interesting Turn of Events [1/?]

Pairing: Jotaro Kujo x Noriaki Kakyoin Summary:  There were three things Jotaro Joestar was completely certain about: One. 80’s rock was the be-all end-all of music. Two. The movie Jaws wrongly portrayed sharks as evil and blood-thirsty, and he did not stand for it at all. Three. Being an alpha while also part of the Joestar-lineage was an absolute curse. Warnings: Omegaverse with omega!Kakyoin and alpha!Jotaro Mature content might happen in later chapters Irregular updates (sorry) A/N: I’ve decided to put this fic on tumblr as well, enjoy!

Read on Ao3 here: LINK

There were three things Jotaro Joestar was completely certain about:

One. 80’s rock was the be-all end-all of music.

Two. The movie Jaws wrongly portrayed sharks as evil and blood-thirsty, and he did not stand for it at all.

Three. Being an alpha while also part of the Joestar-lineage was an absolute curse.

Jotaro was well aware of the fact that he probably didn’t really have any right to complain. Not when his biggest problems stemmed from his 195-centimetre stature, and his otherwise strong physique. Or more precisely, his problems stemmed from the reactions of the people around him, which were mainly caused by said physique.

But whenever he would complain about it to any of his brothers he would always get the same three responses.

“Jotaro, there are people that are dying” Jonathan would remind him.

“Being hot is our god given gift, and our purpose is to fill the hearts of everyone around us with envy or desire!” Joseph would tell him.

“It’s not that bad, maybe you’re just getting too old to handle it” Josuke would scoff at him.

Jotaro could only glare at each of them in return.

Jonathan had settled down with his Omega, Erina, when they were just 16. He had therefore been able to avoid the majority of the harassment that came of being a Joestar alpha. His opinion was therefore irrelevant

Joseph instead absolutely loved the attention that came with being a Joestar-alpha. Although he would never date any of the people clinging to his arms, he had found many great uses of them. Like getting free homemade lunches every day, or having his homework done for him at times. And being one of the most well-known and talked about in all of their high school wasn’t something that he was complaining about either. Joseph’s opinion was thus irrelevant as well.

Josuke, on the other hand, had yet to even start high school. He had therefore yet to experience the hell that it could be. When he would finally start high school next year, Jotaro would only laugh at the grief it would without a doubt bring him. So for now, Josuke’s opinion was just as irrelevant as those of Jonathan and Joseph.

When in school Jotaro would always make sure to cherish his half an hour lunch break as well as he possibly could. It was the one time of the day where he could slip away from the constant stream of alphas, betas and omegas, that were for one reason or another trying to grab his attention. Weather it was practically every beta and omega within the walls of his high school, desperately throwing themselves at him, or aggressive alphas who didn’t like that he was hogging all the attention.

Hogging was however not a great word to explain how Jotaro felt about the whole situation, since it implied that he was doing it on purpose. He would be more than willing get rid of the overwhelming attention given to him by said betas and omegas. No amount of shouting or threatening had however worked to get them of his back. If anything it had only made it worse, since it was a way of displaying dominance. So he had no choice but to accept this as just another part of his everyday life. To accept to be followed around, grabbed and practically drooled over for five and a half hours a day, five days a week.

The lunch break was thus the time of day Jotaro looked forward to the most. He was able to become fully anonymous when his classmates would be moving about in their friend groups while chatting loudly. Jotaro would be able to sneak past everyone in the room, and quickly make his way towards the roof, which was the one sacred spot nobody would ever follow him. Partially because it was against school rules, and partially because of the locked door that guarded it.

Luckily there were a total of five students who were allowed the keys to all school doors- the prefects. Four of these students had already been scared off by Jotaro enough to not even considering entering the area, and the final one was Muhammad Avdol. Avdol was a part of Jotaro’s closest group of friends, and he luckily understood and sympathized with what Jotaro had to put up with on a daily basis. Which is how the roof had ended up being their go to lunch spot.

Jotaro quickly made his way up the staircase leading to the roof, now standing outside of said locked door. He knocked on it, three fast ones followed by four slow ones. Their secret code that only he, Avdol, and Polnareff knew of. Polnareff had originally wanted their secret knock to be an exact rendition of the first ten seconds of the French national anthem. This idea had however quickly been scrapped, since Polnareff would be furious whenever Jotaro would have just one of the knocks be off by one tenth of a second. So they had instead settled on the slightly easier three fast four slow system.

The door swung open, revealing Avdol grinning down at him, Polnareff standing just behind with a similar expression.

“What took you so long, Joestar? Avdol and I were beginning to think you had stood us up for somebody else” Polnareff said, moving aside as Jotaro walked past him. The three of them started making their way over to their usual corner, which was always out of the early autumn sun’s unforgivingly hot rays.

“Yeah, we thought you might have finally given up and taken one of those people clinging to you on a date” Avdol added, letting out a brisk laugh.

“Ew” Jotaro replied immediately, which made Polnareff laugh as well.

“Don’t be like that” the Frenchman continued. “I would gladly exchange places with you, I wouldn’t mind getting in on some of that omega action”

“Just yesterday you were complaining that you didn’t have an alpha”

“That’s the best part about being a beta, I get the best of both worlds. Or are you maybe disappointed that you didn’t get a chance to get a piece of this, Avdol?” Polnareff replied and flexed one of his arms, kissing the bulging bicep. Jotaro let out an amused snort at this.

“Are you implying that the offer is not on the table anymore?” Avdol asked, pretending to be offended. “How could you do this to me, Jean-Jierre Jealnareff? He finished in an overexaggerated French accent, while clutching at his heart dramatically.

Jotaro took a seat on the ground, leaning his back towards the wall behind him and fishing his lunchbox out of his bag. After a few moments of Polnareff swatting at Avdol with a magazine, the two of them finally settled down next to him.

“All this constant talk of courting is starting to stress me out” Avdol confessed. “We’re almost eighteen, and all of us are still single. Isn’t it time for us to start thinking about settling down with someone soon?”

“I am thinking about it, I just haven’t found anyone to do it with yet” Polnareff replied and folded his arms behind his head. “Besides, we are all still young and beautiful, I’m not in a rush”

“sixty percent of people have already found their mate by the time they turn eighteen” Avdol commented. Jotaro silently scoffed at this. It seemed like even Avdol had managed to catch the ‘mate fever’ that it always felt like was going around the school.

“So what if we’re in the remaining forty percent?” Polnareff replied, waving his fork at Avdol. “If all goes to hell we could just all get mated to each other”. At this both Jotaro and Avdol let out an audible chuckle.

“I honestly think I’d rather stay alone for the rest of my life” Jotaro said, his voice serious but with a slight smile playing on his lips.

“Ditto” Avdol agreed. “You’re on your own, Polnareff”. Polnareff pretended to be hurt by this, but a bright smile was also evident on his own face. Shortly afterwards their conversations shifted elsewhere, their earlier talk of mating soon to be forgotten.

***************

Jotaro’s sacred half hour ended up passing way too quickly, as it always did. The school bell rang, signalling that classes would begin in just a few minutes. The three boys quickly gathered their things and made their way down from the rooftop. Jotaro looked over his schedule. His next class would apparently be biology. It was one of his favourite subjects, and when he graduated in a couple of years he had plans of working towards becoming a marine biologist.

He said his goodbyes to Polnareff and Avdol, each of them going off in a different direction. A second bell went off, signalling the start of class. Jotaro raised his speed and ducked into the noisy classroom. He was as usual greeted by a choir of “Jojo” as he made his way towards the back of the classroom. He opted for ignoring them as he normally did.

He had just taken his usual seat by the window in the very back row when the teacher emerged. She immediately started explaining that todays lesson would introduce a new two-week long assignment. That would be made in groups of four.

Jotaro’s stomach immediately dropped. He hated groupwork for several reasons. First of all, most people in his class didn’t give two shits about their grades, while Jotaro always strived towards getting the highest grade he could in biology, as he would need it after he graduated. Second of all, he didn’t really know anyone in the class. He did spend most of his time trying to avoid everyone after all.

He noticed that several omega females in the front of the class had turned toward him, trying to make eye contact. Jotaro refused to meet their eyes, instead focusing on the teacher explaining the subject matter of the assignment at hand. As soon as she finished the girls hurried over to Jotaro’s seat.

“Hey Jojo, you want to be in my group?”

“Jojo, we have a spot saved for you!”

“He won’t be in your group he’s gonna be with me”

“Why would Jojo join your group when he could join our?”

“Jojo I’ll do anything you want, please choose me!”

“My dad is really rich, I can pay you to be in my group!”

“SHUT UP!” Jotaro yelled out, finally having had enough of their endless bickering. The girls however didn’t quiet down, but they did eventually form their own groups, leaving him alone. Guess they didn’t want to get stuck with people they didn’t want to work with, since they already knew that Jotaro would reject all their propositions. Jotaro let out an inaudible sigh and looked around the class. It looked like most people had already gathered into groups of four, only a few people remaining in their original seats.

“Could anyone that doesn’t already have a group please join up by the cabinets in the back?” their teacher announced loudly, trying to speak up over the loud buzz coming from the students.

Jotaro got up reluctantly and threw his bag over his shoulder, making his way over to the opposite side of the room. Three other students were already seated there, already seemingly deep in conversation. Jotaro sat down in the closest available seat, tuning in to the ongoing chatter coming from an obnoxious sounding alpha that was sitting in front of him.

“Me and my family actually have our own private island of the coast of Italy. Or was it maybe Spain? Possibly France? Anyhow, it has a whole private mansion that is both sound- and scent-proof, perfect for taking some time off during a heat”. The alpha said, his voice practically dripping with suggestion. He was sitting next to a red headed omega Jotaro hadn’t seen before, heavily leaning into him and clearly trying to tower over him.

Great, Jotaro thought to himself. Not only did he end up in the same group as someone who obviously gave zero fucks about the assignment, but he also had to be an absolute creep. Jotaro recognizes the alpha as one of the spoiled delinquents that are constantly side eyeing him for no apparent reason.

The omega he is practically drooling over looks very uncomfortable at the alpha’s suggestions, clearly trying to lean away from him. The alpha does however not seem to get the hint, and keeps on leaning even closer. Or perhaps he simply doesn’t give two shits about how uncomfortable the other is. He certainly seems like the type to completely disregard anyone’s feelings as long as he gets what he wants.

“I don’t think so, dude” The omega lets out in a clearly disinterested way. Jotaro notices that he shifts his arm so that his elbow is now pressing down on the alpha’s fingers, which are resting on his own desk. The alpha lets out a grunt and quickly retracts his hand. His face is however still adorned with a disgustingly mischievous smirk.

“I don’t even know your name, and you-“

“It’s Trent, sweetheart. I’m co-captain of the football team and I have a six inch-“

“Could we actually get on with the assignment? I would rather not be stuck here for the rest of the evening” The female beta luckily interrupted him, looking bored about the whole exchange. The alpha scoffs but lets up on the omega, whose shoulders instantly relax considerably.

The assignment consists of them producing two reports on two different species, one aquatic and one terrestrial. The beta, Jotaro believes that her name is Mia, quickly takes charge and decides that it would be most efficient if they pair up two and two.

“I can write about either group. Does anyone have any particular preference?” Mia asked and looked around at the rest of the group expectantly. Jotaro cleared his throat.

“I’d prefer to be on aquatic” He said. Better to be safe and immediately claim one of the spots for himself.

“I’m on the land-thingy then!” Trent says immediately afterwards, clearly not looking to be in the same group as Jotaro. Jotaro is immensely thankful for this, as there are few people in the world that he'd want to work with less than this asshole.

“Great, how about you?” Mia asked as she turned towards the omega. Jotaro noticed that Trent’s hand had returned to his desk, dangerously close to grabbing a hold of his wrist. It was clear that he was suggesting that the omega should join him.

“Well, my dad happens to be a marine biologist, so I am quite familiar with the subject” The red head answered quickly. Jotaro’s eyes immediately shoot over to look at him, and their eyes lock for a brief second.

Jotaro doesn’t think he has ever seen anyone with such bright eyes before. They almost look purple under the bright classroom lights.

They omega quickly averted his gaze back towards Mia. His cheeks had however turned slightly pink in colour. Jotaro now instead finds himself eyeing the boy’s… interesting hairstyle, which was made up of a long, wavy bang in his otherwise seemingly straight, short cut hair. Jotaro quickly decides that the hair strangely suits him. The pinkish red hue of it perfectly matching with the earrings hanging from the boy’s ears. Jotaro squints his eyes a little. Are those cherries? Is he actually walking around with depictions of cherries hanging from his ears?

Jotaro was suddenly pulled out of his own thoughts as Mia spoke up again, confirming their decided groupings.

“We can meet up in a few days to see how far we’ve all gotten” she stated as she threw her backpack over her shoulder. “Let’s go find a room to work in, Trent”. Trent muttered something under his breath but withdrew his hand from the omega’s desk. He gave Jotaro one final, long glare, before finally getting up and following her towards the door. Both Jotaro and the omega turn to watch him until he turns around the corner and disappears from their line of sight. Jotaro turned his eyes toward the red head instead. He could see him mutter something under his breath as absently played with the spine of his notebook.            

Jotaro realizes that he still doesn’t know the others name. He opens his mouth to ask but is interrupted before he has the chance to say anything.

“We should probably get going as well?” it came out more as a question than a suggestion, but Jotaro only grunted in response before quickly standing up and heading towards the classroom door. He could hear quick footsteps behind him trying to catch up with his long strides. As he walks past one of the girl groups at the front of the class he could hear low mutterings and a few jealous remarks coming from them, as would be expected. Jotaro simply ignores them and steps out into the corridor. He turns to look at the omega behind him, confirming that he is indeed following him.

“There are usually some available rooms at the end of the hall. Let’s go there”. Before the other has a chance to respond Jotaro started making his way down the hall. A second set of footsteps quickly picks up behind him again.

They make their way down the hall in silence. Luckily one of the rooms is indeed empty. Not that it would have been a problem if it wasn’t, as Jotaro could easily have made and eventual dwellers leave with a single glare. Jotaro puts down all of his stuff on one of the desks as the front, taking out some of his textbooks. The omega sits down right across from him. He begins to tap idly at the desk.

“So” the omega said. Jotaro gives him a quick look over, before returning his attention towards the book he’s currently flipping through. Another few moments of awkward silence pass.

“Jojo, was it? I believe that girl called you that?” he spoke with a hint of uncertainty lining his voice.

“It’s Jotaro” Jotaro replied. “Jojo is just a stupid nickname they keep using for some reason”. At this the other boy let’s out a nervous laugh.

“I see”

He gives Jotaro a tentative smile and pulls his fingers through his hair. Jotaro notices that it looks exceptionally soft. He probably uses conditioner and some fancy hair products. Probably ones that smell sweet and fruity.

“I’m Noriaki Kakyoin by the way, but please call me Kakyoin. I just transferred here a few days ago so I don’t believe we’ve met”

Jotaro meets his eyes again, finally having a name to put with his face. Kakyoin smiled politely at him, his eyes crinkling a bit at the corners as he does so. Jotaro is once again transfixed at the colour of  them. They look even more purple in this more natural lighting as opposed to the bright lights of the classroom. There is a sense of gentleness just beneath the surface of them, as opposed to the obvious lust and want that most omegas regard Jotaro with. It is a nice welcomed change that Jotaro does not mind one bit.

“I do believe I’ve heard your name in passing before” Kakyoin continued thoughtfully. “Some people were discussing the time you supposedly managed to smuggle two bottles of tequila into school by hiding them in your shirt?” It comes out more as a question and Kakyoin looks at him expectantly.

“Wasn’t me, was my brother Joseph” Jotaro replies, hiding his eyes behind the brim of his cap. Of course he has already heard of his brother’s stupid misdemeanours. And of course said misdemeanours are affiliated with Jotaro as well.

“He also called Jojo?”

“Both me and all of my three brothers are called that”

At this Kakyoin let’s out a laugh and Jotaro looks up at him again.

“I also heard a rumour that you were getting married, I’m guessing that’s one of your brothers as well?”

“Yeah, that’s Jonathan”

Kakyoin hums thoughtfully. Silence falls between them as Kakyoin leans down to take out his own books. He stacks them up in a neat pile, and Jotaro watches as he opens up a page in a notebook. The page is packed with a mixture of notes from classes as well as bunch of smaller doodles. Mostly of cats and cherries from what Jotaro can tell.

“So, Jotaro” Kakyoin started off and Jotaro is abruptly ripped away from his own thoughts. His eyes fly up from the notebook to meet Kakyoin’s, who is already looking at him, resting his chin on the palm of his hand.

“You have any suggestions of what we could write about? Judging by your notebook I’m guessing that you might have at least a couple of ideas” Kakyoin lets out a slight chuckle and gestures toward one of Jotaro’s notebooks, that are messily scattered in front of him. Jotaro doesn’t even have to look down to know that he means the one whose cover is full of scribbles of various breeds of dolphins, starfish, and with the occasional salt water fish thrown in there. He can feel his face heating up. Kakyoin has a slight teasing grin on his lips. Jotaro retaliates by letting his eyes flash to red for just a moment, and watches as Kakyoin twitches backwards a bit.

“Point taken, I won’t try to make fun of your little fishy-friends” Kakyoin said jokingly as he throws his hands up in the air, while turning his head to the side in submission to expose a bit of his neck. A beautifully pale and elongated neck. That does not have any signs of a bonding mark on it. Jotaro quickly averts his eyes, trying to focus his brain on the topic at hand.

“Don’t make fun of starfish, they are cooler than you would think” Jotaro said with a slight furrow in his brows. He doesn’t miss the way Kakyoin hides his smile behind one of his hands.

“What kind of marine life does your dad work with? we could write about something like that if you’d like” Jotaro offers up. Kakyoin’s smile immediately drops.

“Oh” he replied, the playfulness of their precious conversation suddenly gone. Kakyoin goes to scratch at the back of his neck, seemingly thinking his next words over.

“You see, my dad’s not actually a marine biologist. I might have just made that up so I didn’t end up in the same group as that ‘I-have-a-house-in-Spain-where-nobody-can-hear-you-scream’ guy. He came off as insanely creepy and even though you’re really tall and intimidating and all that I took a gamble that you couldn’t possibly be worse than him”. Kakyoin’s voice trails off, his hands moving restlessly over the desk.

Jotaro ponders over his words for a moment. Having people clinging to you against your will was something he was more than familiar with. But in his own case he knew that he wouldn’t have any trouble stopping anyone who went too far. In Kakyoin’s case this might be different. Manipulative alphas had their own ways of making an omega submit to them, by using the omega’s own biology against them. Forced bonding by simply bite-marking an omega’s neck was still something that happened all too often throughout the world. And although the alpha’s bite would not be permanent unless the omega wished for it to be, the omega would still develop feelings of compassion toward the Alpha until the marks had completely faded.

“I can’t really blame you about that” Jotaro said and gives a slight shrug. The tightness in Kakyoin’s shoulder visibly loosen at his response.

“I’m guessing from the reactions of some of the people in our class that you might experience similar things a lot as well?”

Jotaro nodded.

“I’ve got cursed genes. It’s something that both me and all my brothers have to deal with” Kakyoin let’s out a bright laugh and Jotaro gives him a small smile in return.

“What, is it a gene that causes you to be all tall, dark and handsome or what not?” Kakyoin seems to regret the words as soon as he has said them out loud, and he tilts his head downwards so that the wavy piece of hair covers his face.

“Pretty much” Jotaro replied, smirking slightly before quickly changing the subject. “So I’m thinking starfish”

Kakyoin’s head re-emerged from behind his hair, a confused look evident on his face.

“Starfish?”

“For the project”

“Oh! Right” Kakyoin exclaimed. “Why starfish though?”

“They have a lot of really neat features that most people don’t really know about. Like how their arms all actually have hundreds of little feet that they move around with. Or that they can even regenerate their own arms, but it can take everything from a few months up to years to do so”. Jotaro finds himself to be practically rambling, which is something that only tends to happen when he gets the chance to talk to someone about marine life. Kakyoin is still looking right at him, like he is expecting him to continue. Jotaro cleared his throat.

“And, that’s about it. I guess” his voice close to being a mumble.

“Well, it sounds like you’ve got it all figured out then” Kakyoin said and let out a huff of laughter. “How about we get started then?”. Jotaro just grunts in response.

They both start skimming through their textbooks, writing down the page numbers of anything that could be of interest in Kakyoin’s overly-doodled notebook. Kakyoin draws a little symbol next to each number, and Jotaro thinks that it is so cute that he has to turn away and gather his thoughts for a moment.

They keep working until they are suddenly interrupted by the bell going off, signalling the end of class. The sudden noise making both of them jump.

“We could meet up some time tomorrow to continue, if you have time?” Kakyoin suggested, standing up and packing all his belongings into his bag.

“Maybe during lunch, if you want to” Jotaro answered.

“Sure thing!” Kakyoin said as he adjusted his bag strap over his shoulder “I got to run now, my next class is on the complete other side of campus”. He raised his hand at Jotaro, giving him another one of those eye crinkling smiles.

“Mm, see you later” Jotaro responded, and Kakyoin was out the door. Jotaro lets out a breath that he didn’t even realize that he was holding in. He gathered all his stuff into his own bag.

Just as he stands up, he realizes that he for the first time in his life had made plans with someone other than Avdol and Polnareff for lunch.

And in all honesty, he didn’t mind the idea of spending it alone with Kakyoin one bit.

Well, this day had certainly turned out to be interesting.

[simplyyeol]

ten out of ten

word count: 3.638

pairing: kim jongin x reader

genre: fluff! sports college! au (weightlifting fairy kim bok joo, anyone?)

author's note: hello! it’s me ;; lol, um so I was supposed to finish this sooo long ago for the valentine’s day collab with @lucyandthepen @baekbuns @jiminiesthighss and @starcrossed8 ! read there parts at @v-daycollab, they’re all so good and fluffy and uwu. anyways i hope you like it!!

+

“I’m so sorry, Jongin.” You muttered into the phone for the millionth time in just the past five minutes of your phone call with your boyfriend.

“It’s not your fault, that you got sick. We can just go on a date next weekend and say it’s Valentine’s day.”

You chuckled before coughing, a nervous cough more than a sick one. He’s so thoughtful. The guilt slowly started to creep up you.

“Okay, I’ll let you rest, Y/N. Get well soon.” His sweet words made you wince. You really hope karma won’t beat you up for this.

The screen went back to your basic wallpaper. The call was over.

You made eye contact with your roommate who was lounging on her bed, hugging her Pikachu plush, before you screamed. Or well, more like a girly shriek that bounced off the empty walls of your shared apartment as your feet frustratedly kicked the empty air wishing that your luck would go and fuck itself. You’d somehow lost balance on the bed (anything was possible with you) and tumbled off the bed, a loud thud echoing throughout the empty room. You clenched your hand, void of your phone as you’d thrown it somewhere else immediately after the phone call ended. Hopefully, you didn’t throw it too far. You couldn’t bear to starve to fix a broken screen, again.

You struggled to come out of the blankets that you’d wrapped yourself in (claiming that if you acted like a sick person maybe you’d sound more like one) and scrambled to the wall mirror attached on the wall next to your bed.

A gasp left your mouth as your fingers brushed over the big, red, disgusting, and very ugly pimple that resided on the tip of your nose.

“Did it get bigger?” Your roommate questions from her bed.

A shriek comes out in response. You cover your mouth, muttering, “Why is it so big?” You poke at it a few more times, careful not to touch it too much, reading somewhere that you should absolutely not touch a pimple if you don’t want it to scar.

“Wow, it’s so big.”

Min, your roommate, ducks as your hand flies straight towards her cheek. You almost smack her in the face but she’s always been blessed with fast reflexes, part of the reason why she has trophies stacked upon one another in your shared medal case, well, cabinet. If it wasn’t for that, she’d be sporting a good hand-sized mark on her face. More specifically, your hand-size mark.

You smack her on the shoulder a few times because she scared the living shit out of you (how does she move that fast?) still careful with your strength as not to hurt her (again) before you jump back into your bed and bury your face in your pillow. It takes a minute for you to calm down, and flail some more about how bad your luck is, and for Min to recover from her ‘near death experience’ (she deserved it) before she comes over to pat your head and attempt at soothing away your loneliness that you’ve been misfortuned with on Valentine’s Day.

“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t have a Valentine either.”

“Oh shut up, you chose to be lonely.” Your voice is muffled by your pillow so it sounds more like gibberish than anything.

Min was a part of the swim team at your college. With both of you attending one of the grandest sports colleges in Korea, that fact alone made her “popular with the guys.” Her words, not yours. She was also pretty and had an amazing body from swimming every day, every week, every hour. You, on the other hand, were just a measly Taekwondo major. You know how to swing a good kick, maybe flip a few people, but you envied Min’s abs, and thighs, and her extremely model-like physique. It’s not like you didn’t have any muscles or nice looking features, they just paled in comparison to Min’s. The girl eats so much, you wonder where it all goes. 

You’d gotten here on a scholarship and Min had been scouted from a national competition. You’d been lucky to just have been runner up in a grand Taekwondo competition that your teacher had signed you up for. Thank god for the fact that people do (sometimes) look at people other than first.

It's been three years since you’ve started college. Three years of hard work, training, bodybuilding, sweat, tears. Being a third year at the college, had its perks, though. For example, not having to do your seniors laundry just because they’re older and they told you so. Those people who take the notion of respect and use it in that way piss you off. A lot.

Maybe it has something to do with Taekwondo since respect is a major factor that needs to be taken into consideration when doing the sport, or you were just that amazing and great of a person. You lean more towards the latter option.

You’re embarrassed to say that outside of your own department, people basically knew you as the ‘Taekwondo major who fights everyone.’ Min’s words, not yours. She'd told you this one fateful day when a group of freshmen guys scurried away when you made eye contact with them. 

The first time you actually encountered Jongin, your boyfriend, who you’d just bailed on over a phone call, was at the beginning of this year. About nine months ago (you weren’t counting or anything, just an estimation off the top of your head, totally). You’ve obviously seen him around (he’s literally in the same year and college as you, how could you not?). A part of the swim team, with everyone knowing who he was with just his name, and he was cute too. A swimmer with good looks? Kim Jongin has all the women swooning.

It was a good afternoon, after you ate lunch, walking to practice, you and your teammates filling up the silence about how nice the Hapkido team’s, Byun Baekhyun’s kick was in his latest match. And his ass, but that doesn’t matter (the guy’s got a really cute butt, though, good for him). But in all honesty, you all should get a few tips from him.

A man around the age of forty, you assumed he was one of the teachers or mentors just from his looks, but he acted like a total asshole, walked up to you and started ordering you around.

“Finally! I need you all to take these chairs to the big stadium!” He shouted at your team. It was only the third years, and you all were only passing from the cafeteria to get to your gym. Why would he ask random students out of the blue?

You step forward, seeing no one else in the gym. “Are you talking to us?”

He waved his clipboard in the air and huffs in annoyance. “Well, who else? You guys are students here aren’t you?”

“Well, yeah. Are you a teacher here? I’ve never seen you here before.” You cross your arms over your chest, as he eyes you up and down.

“Obviously, now stop asking questions. They need these in the big stadium before one-thirty.”

“No one told us that we had to do this.” You sneered, mocking him. “We don’t even know who you are and we’re Taekwondo majors. We don’t even lift weights, and you expect us to take all these to the stadium across the school?”

You feel someone elbow you in the side. “We can just take them, it’s fine—“

“Yeah, listen to her, you girly. At least she shows respect to her sensei.”

“Sensei?” You spit. “I only give respect to a sensei that deserves it.”

“Hey! Hey! What’s going on here?” You turn to the side to see the swim coach walk into the gym with his whole team following behind him. You barely, not even for a millisecond, lock eyes with Kim Jongin who was right next to him before you turned away, embarrassment finally flooding through your veins. “Y/N? Are you picking another fight?”

Embarrassment never lasts with you however, when you're wrongly accused.

“Wait, wait, wait a second.” You spread your arms and throw a glare at the man. Coach Kim awaits your excuse this time. You could see how bored he looks already and here you are thinking that you’re on good terms with him. “He told us,” you point to your teammates, “to take these,” your finger points to the stacks of chairs, that looked to be about five hundred chairs, “to the stadium.”

Mr. Kim chuckles under his breath. “That’s it? He’s the performance director, Y/N, and I’m glad that you took precautions, but—“ he turned to the rest of your teammates, “none of you have ever seen him before?”

One of the smaller third-year girls spoke. “I think I’ve seen him around the dorms a few times.”

“See! You should’ve said that earlier, so all this wouldn’t have happened!” He clapped his hands in a very teacherly manner. “Now all is settled! Just help him out this once, yeah?”

You scoffed but didn’t say anything.

“Great! I’ll see you all later.” He clapped your back and waved at the other girls before making his way towards the exit with the rest of the team following him, whispering among themselves. You really hoped that they weren’t talking about you.

“Now that all’s settled—“ the performance directed twirled his pen, very uncoordinatedly you may add, as it flew out of his hand and landed behind him. He turned around to pick the pen up when you heard his pants rip. 

He looked back, surprised, but his hand was too late to cover what everyone saw.

You gasped. Another girl screamed. Before everything went to chaos.

Hot pink had peeled out from the rip and you were clearly able to see the strands of a fucking thong coming out from his pants. You grabbed a chair and used it to shield you from him, when he turned around and, and had the audacity to smirk at you.

“Do—don’t come closer!” You stuttered, as you shoved the chair towards him, a slight tremble visible in your voice. “Someone go call Coach Kim!” He stepped closer, hands raised wearily, and a chorus of screams rang throughout the gym.

At that exact moment, with you clutching the chair in front of you, a few girls behind you, and you cowering in front of a completely disgusting psychopath, Jongin came running in with Coach Kim hot on his heels. It was all a blur from there.

Everything was taken care of cleanly in the end, however, you were very much scarred. Never in your life had you thought there were people who actually did those type of things.

“Hey, are you okay?” You looked up from the office chair to see Jongin, looking at you. Was he... worried? No, that’s ridiculous. He didn’t even know you.

“I—um, yeah. Just a... weird day.” You winced. Great, when you really needed to be good at words you turn into an ugly mess.

“Yeah, weird is an understatement. Come on, I’ll walk you to your dorms.” He held his hand out for you, which you embarrassingly didn’t see. If you hadn’t seen him awkwardly wipe his hand on his jacket when you got up you wouldn’t have even noticed.

You couldn’t help but think that maybe it was because you were a Taekwondo major. People never saw you as feminine or girly. They reserved their hands to be held by art, literature, dance, rhythmic gymnastics types of girls. Not by a ‘strong and boyish’ Y/N. You also weren’t too bad looking. Nothing over the top, but you could look good if you tried. You just didn’t try seeing that no one really cares in the end.

He held the door open for you on your way out with you mumbling a small thank you before silence loomed over the two of you. You were jittery, finding the silence uncomfortable before he spoke up.

“I guess Coach kept only you and me for the witnesses.” He muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets to shield him from the cool evening breeze. Everything had taken longer than expected, well this has never happened to you, so it’s not like you could speak from experience, but from the times you’ve visited the main office, this is the longest it has been.

“Yeah, I’m glad he didn’t bring the other girls into it.”

“Yeah.” He paused. “I think that was really brave of you.”

Your head whipped towards him before you laughed.

Your laugh echoed throughout the empty courtyard, and maybe, the shock had finally started filling to you from the horrible day you just went through You may have heard Jongin’s join in with you in the middle, but no, he probably found you even weirder, or crazy or possessed. It’s happened before. “Please? Me? Brave?” You scoffed. “I was literally shaking.”

He lightly nudged your side. “I’ve never seen someone hold a chair that confidently. Ten out of ten from me.”

You chuckled. “Thanks, Jongin.”

It all went uphill from there. Morning chats when you didn’t have class and accompanied Min to the pool, you’d spot him. Small talks led to you going out eating together, watching movies, and even shopping whenever you felt like it, as he needed a girl’s advice on what to wear for another one of his blind dates. He really was popular from how many times that had happened. Obviously, you were jealous, after growing a small crush on him. Well, it’s not exactly your fault, who wouldn’t be able to.

You only started dating last month, with you fumbling over your sentences for at least an hour after he confessed to you (apparently those blind dates that he needed to get ready for were excuses to go out with you. Please, you absolutely melted when he confessed). Because Kim fucking Jongin confessed to you. Sure, you had one boyfriend before in high school, but everyone knew that Insik was a tool. So, that doesn’t really count.

+

Lounging on the couch, stuffing popcorn in your face with blankets thrown around all over you, you jumped when you heard a thud coming from your room. You jolted upright, confused as to if something fell or someone broke into your house and was about to kill you.

Min left earlier for practice. Checking the time, you deemed it was about time she got back. Could she even help if a thief broke in? What if it wasn’t even a thief? What if it was a pedo—you choked just at the thought of it.

No other sound came from the room, but before you could call the coast clear, you had to make sure. Throwing the covers off of you, you padded to your room, your hand reaching out to turn on the light—

“Boo!”

The scream that flew out of your mouth would no doubt have been heard by your neighbors. Your back hit the wall, hands coming up to cover your mouth when you looked up to see if you could recognize the person who’s about to steal all your money and kill you. But then your eyes met those familiar, warm brown ones and you screamed even louder.

“Jongin?” You shriek, enraged. “What the fuck?” You grab a pillow that just happened to be on the floor next to you and chucked it as hard as you can at him.

He doesn’t look phased, a small smile spreading on his lips. You cross your arms, an unconscious pout forming on your lips as you send a glare in his direction.

He slowly walks towards you and you back away, suddenly feeling trapped. What’s happening—why is he—why does this feel like one of those movies where the guy traps the girl against the wall and kisses—

Your own foot betrays you. It knocks itself into your other foot sending you tumbling, and you obviously grab onto the closest thing available to steady yourself, which is obviously Jongin.

A stream of curses flies past your lips as your back makes contact with the floor and Jongin collapses on top of you. On top of you. On top of you.

You can feel your face flaring when you look down feeling something on your chest. That was Jongin. And his face was buried in your neck.

The door opens at that exact moment and your roommate enters. She analyzes the situation before making a move.

“I’m out.”

Both you and Jongin’s head turn to her, finally noticing her presence when her back is turned as she closes the door.

“Wait! Min—“

Jongin stumbles as he scrambles off of you, and you cough way too much for normal, your face probably tomato red at the moment. You hear the front door close, and you internally throw a roundhouse at your friend. It was not what it looked like.

“Well... um.” You look towards Jongin who’s running his fingers, distractedly through his hair, a sheepish look on his face. “I brought soup.” You look towards the lunch box that tumbled from his hands during your fall. You make eye contact, then burst out laughing. The soup didn’t survive the fall either.

+

“You know that pimple looks cute on you.”

You gasp handing flying to your nose to cover it. It’s been a few hours since Jongin crashed at your place. You’d totally forgotten that you were supposed to go on a date with him and bailed on it because you had a ginormous monstrosity on your nose and wanted nothing to do with him until it was gone.

“Is that why you said you were sick?” Your eyes widened when you realized that you were caught.

“N—no! I’m actually sick!” You faked a cough just for an extra measure.

He suddenly leaned towards you and you felt a wave of deja vu wash over you as you leaned back. It seemed you leaned a little too far back, as you almost fell off the couch. His hand shot out and grabbed your shoulder, to which he stilled you before his hand cupped your face. You looked back at him wide-eyed, his eyes holding yours for what felt like an eternity. You could feel your face burning up under his touch.

He hummed while pulling away. “Yeah, you’re not sick.” You scoffed, turning away from him, letting your hair drape over your face hoping he couldn’t see you become tomato red. Confrontation is not your friend. Jongin looking at you like that is not your friend either.

You cupped your own face with your hands wishing that your cool fingers could calm your red blood cells. Any more and you’d burst. “You can’t go all up and close to me like that without askin—“you muttered turning around and almost screaming again when you saw just how much space was between the two of you.

With both of you on your couch, your blankets covering the both of you. He was almost hovering over you, leaning on to the couch arm for support, as to not fall (unlike you, who almost fell earlier, he has precautions). His breath fanned over your face and your eyes searched him, frantically. You had no idea what was going on.

His voice was no louder than a whisper when he spoke. “Do I need permission—“ and then he swooped down and kissed you.

You’ve only kissed one other guy before and then, it was mediocre. You deduced that maybe, that was just how kissing was. You didn’t see the appeal that all the other girls talked about. It was more of an awkward mouth sucking, lip biting, and teeth clashing kind of experience. It was horrible, per se. However, today you find out that appeal that all the girls would talk about it. It wasn’t kissing that had no appeal, it was the tool that you had kissed. He was nothing compared to Kim Jongin.

It was a gentle kiss. his lips pressed to yours, fingers playing with the baby hairs that framed your face. Your hands felt awkward placed on your lap, as they started moving upwards, exploring his broad chest. Does he work out that much, good Lord—

He pulled away slowly, his forehead touching yours, causing your hands to still. Too bad. You sighed, lips parting and opened your eyes. A small smile formed on your lips when you saw his eyes flutter open an almost dazed look coating them. “—to do this?” He finished his sentence and you only just registered what he said before.

You gasp, flabbergasted. He kissed you like that to just ask if he needs permission to—! You smacked his chest hopefully not too hard, but still enough to make up for him teasing you.

“Ow,” he whined. “I come to bring you food when I thought you were sick, and then I find out that you bailed on me, and now you’re abusing me.” He pouts, and you see it as one of the cutest things in the world. He perfectly resembles a kicked puppy. You literally coo on the inside. He’s too adorable for his own good.

You open your mouth to retort but he cuts you off with another chaste kiss. You frown at him because you forgot what you were going to say.

“It’s alright, though. I think this is a pretty good Valentine’s day. Ten out of ten from me.” He leaves you speechless, and you can’t even say anything when he winks at you before he brings you into another kiss.

It doesn’t really count as a date. But, you agree. You'd give this ‘date’ a ten out of ten as well.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #214

“if you are dead or still alive, i don’t care.”

Do you wear perfume or cologne? Very very rarely. Typically if I have to go somewhere formal or something. What was your favorite grade in elementary school? Probably 5th. Do you own a debit card? No. A credit card? No. Are you in debt? I don't pay for anything that could cause me to be in debt. When is your birthday? February 5th. What song are you listening to now? "I Don't Care" by Apocalyptica. What was the most traumatic experience of your life? The breakup with Jason. Have you ever lost a friend to drugs or alcohol? Kinda. Who was your childhood best friend? Her name was Brianna. Are you still friends now? We just drifted apart. If not, why? ^ Do you believe in Karma? Nope. What do you thinks happens to us when we die? I don't pretend to know. I hope some sort of eternal peace for those deserving, but who the hell knows. What age do you think you’ll die? Idk. 70s/80s? My grandparents lived pretty long. About how long was the last book you read? I haven't a clue. Have you ever read a play before? Yeah, in school. A play not written by Shakespeare? I don't think so. Have you ever read a play outside of school? No. Have you ever edited Wikipedia? No. Have you ever edited any other wiki? A lot... I'm one of the admins at the Silent Hill wiki, a content mod or something I don't remember on the SotC one, and I occasionally edit the meerkats wiki, which is an atrocious mess that I try to clean up where I can. Is there a website [besides social networking] that you check almost daily? A lot. Do you use your phone as an alarm? Yep. Do you listen to music while you sleep? No. Do you get scared when you know some virus or sickness is being passed? I don't get "scared," just very paranoid of germs. Are you realistic? In some ways. Do you own a romper?  No. What popular social media platforms AREN’T you on? Snapchat, and then I have a Twitter solely to like Mark's shit lmao. What does your computer’s slow-loading cursor look like? It's a spinning light blue ring. Do you prefer Microsoft Word or Pages? I've never heard of the latter, so. Would you rather have a trampoline or swimming pool? A pool, please. Do you have the same favorite colors you had when you were a kid? Pink, yes. What do you like to put in your tea? N/A What do you like to put in smoothies? I don't really drink them. Do your stuffed animals have names? Some. What was the name of the first porcelain doll you got? Bitch miss me with that haunted doll shit. Do you sell any products? If so, what? No. Do you know how to knit? No. Do you have an inspiration board? I have one on Pinterest of hair colors I like. Do you have a colored teddy bear? Maybe up in the attic somewhere. On what day is your local grocery store the busiest? I'm sure it's the weekend. What day do you usually go grocery shopping? Mom doesn't have a designated "day." Do you own a bobblehead? No. What do you make wishes on? Nothing. Wishes aren't magic. Well, I do on birthday candles, but that's only as a tradition sorta thing. What’s the best natural pain reliever? It depends; sometimes nothing natural works. What’s your favorite Paramore song? "That's What You Get," probably. Do you like scrambled eggs? Yes. Have you ever made a recipe you found in a magazine? No. Have you ever done a craft that you saw in a magazine? I don't believe so. Are you bitter about anything? I am permanently and inexplicably bitter towards my former primary doctor that fucked up my entire body thanks to keeping me on a medication and her being an ignorant fuck to the side effects, apparently. What is your favorite color for cars? Burnt orange. What is your favorite color for bridesmaid dresses? *shrugs* If applicable, what’s your favorite dance costume that you’ve had? It was some sort of black dress-ish thing. I can't remember clearly. What’s your favorite flavor of mouthwash? Minty? Just ffs don't have alcohol in it. Do you drink CapriSuns? If there's nothing else to drink, sure. Do you prefer caramel or peanut butter? Peanut butter, I think. Do you like strawberry shortcake? No. Do you like butterflies? Yeah, they're my fave insect. Do you know any dances? Only the ones that literally tell you what simple move to do lmao. Did you go anywhere yesterday? No. Do you like yellow or blue more? Blue. Do you wear rings? Only one. What’s the last you got out of the freezer? French toast sticks for lunch yesterday. How often do you go for walks? Never, sadly. Walking along my road is scary with how busy it is, I CANNOT handle the heat, and for the time being, I can't walk far at all with my knee problem. Do you go on the computer or watch TV more? I say enough I don't watch TV, but I'm always on my laptop. What is something you’ll never eat again? Why? Brussel sprouts. 'Cuz they're fucking disgusting. What is currently happening that is scaring you? Abortion rights being taken away/wrongly modified is pretty scary, honestly. What would be your personal hell? The Christian Hell because fuck that heat lmao. What made the ‘weird kid’ at your school weird? He, I shit you not, would not say a word, but if he absolutely had to speak, he kept it very very short and quiet. He was always looking down and isolated himself. I felt really bad for him; he was so obviously depressed, but I was always too unsure of how to approach him and try to be a friend. What is a word you personally find offensive? "Retarded" when used incorrectly. What instantly puts you to sleep? Instantly go to sleep??? Please teach me how. What song is in a language you don’t speak, but you love it anyway? Well, I don't speak German fluently, so like, a shitload of Rammstein songs. What is something you would like to do if you weren’t judged for doing it? Tbh cosplay sounds so fun. What’s a movie you think everyone should watch? Why that one? Johnny Got His Gun. It shows just how fucking disgusting war is. What was the most unexpected good thing that’s ever happened to you? Senpai Noticed Me. What is the funniest fact you know? Idk. Oh, I might be mistaken, but I think the guy who invented the segway died via driving off a cliff on a segway. Big 'ole oof. What’s the kindest way a stranger has treated you? I remember as a little kid, the people in front of us in line at McDonald's paid for our meal. What is the biggest design flaw of your body? I have this random, deep dimple on my right ass cheek like what the fuck. What is the strangest thing you have ever felt? OKAY SO when I was in the process of having my ears cleaned back when I had that wax adhered to my eardrums, one step was having warm water like pounded into my ears, and it somewhat tickled but also felt oddly good, and it was just really weird. What makes someone immediately unlikable? Acting like they're above everyone else. Who’s a villain you sympathize with and why? Darkiplier hunny my poor husband. I won't answer "why" because yeah spoilers. What is something you regret to NOT have done? Fuck it, I wish I'd had *complete* sex w/ Jason. I was in love with him, and I'll probably never experience genuine sex again so like- What’s the weirdest thing you put in a microwave? Idk? What movie changed your life for the better? I'm not sure. Oh, wait, I remember when I was still Christian, God's Not Dead really touched me, but we know how I am religiously now. What’s something your relatives don’t know about you? Many probably don't know I'm bi. What’s something your parents did, which you have sworn never to do? Have children before marriage. Back when I wanted kids. What’s the most annoying thing your pet does? My cat is obsessed with trying to lie on me as he'd done as a kitten, but then I can't see over him to see the laptop. Teddy scratches a lot and won't listen to "stop" for anything. What’s the biggest sum of money you’ve won? Uhhhh. I have no clue. Have I ever? Idk. Have you ever smoked weed on April 20? No. Tell me about the last event that made you really, truly happy? Oh boy. Can you name three good things about your most recent ex? He's funny as fuck, super intelligent, and hard-working. Have you ever thought about how the world will end? Yeah. What object do you own that has the most sentimental value to you? The pebble I got from my partial hospitalization program. What’s the best memory you have of your father? Him teaching me to ride a bike. What was on the last sandwich you ate? Ham, cheese, and mustard. Do you prefer gold or silver jewelry? Silver matches more things, but I'm allergic to it. I find gold in general prettier, too. Have you ever gotten back together with an ex? No. What is your favorite Thai dish? Never tried Thai food. When was the last time you made out with somebody? February. Are there any candles in your bedroom, and what scent are they? No. When was the last time you went to a birthday party? Last month for my niece. What pet names do you use with your significant other? A whole lot. What brand is your toaster, if you have one? We don't have a toaster, but a toaster oven. I don't have the slightest clue what brand it is; it's ancient. Have you ever dated a smoker? If not, would you? No and nope. What’s the name of the store you usually get your groceries? Wal-Mart or Harris Teeter. Would you rather travel to Japan or Scotland? Oh man, I don't know! I guess Scotland. Does your house have a porch/balcony? We have a decently-sized back porch. There's a front one as well, but it's tiny. What was the last movie you saw and who did you watch it with? I watched The Shining by myself. What’s your favorite type of bread? Pumpernickel. Do you share a middle name with any of your siblings? Yes. Can you cry on command? If so, have you ever used it to your advantage? No. What time does the sun go down where you live at this time of the year? Like, 8:30-ish. Would you rather pay to get your nails done or do them yourself? If I literally had to get them done for whatever reason, I guess I'd pay. Me doing them myself would be a nightmare, especially with tremors. Did you ever fail your learners/drivers test? I haven't taken it yet. Do you have any stickers on your car? I don't have my own car. Blackberry, Droid, or iPhone? iPhones. Do you like diet soda? NO. I don't just not like the taste, but the artificial sweetener gives me crazy headaches. Do you watch Pretty Little Liars? No. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket? No. How old were you the first time you drank alcohol? I don't remember. WAIT shit dude, I was young. I grew up going to a Catholic church, and during that "eating the blood and body of Christ" thing (I forgot what it's called), we sipped real wine. Yes, even the kids. That shit was NOT grape juice. Name someone you’ve become a lot closer to recently: No one. What was the last fight you had with your parents about? Dad, I've got no clue. Mom, about her constantly shit-talking my dad and I no longer wanted to hear any of it in my presence. Does your car have a sunroof? N/A Did you ever have braces? Yes. Are you from the South? Yes. What does your last status on Facebook say? It was something about the bullshit Alabama abortion law, I believe. I barely ever ever make my own statuses. Do you tip your server when you go to a restaurant? I never can because yeah, no money, so I can't even pay for the meal. If I could, of course I would. Have you ever snuck out of your house? No. Are you friends with people on Facebook that you actually hate? No? Name your favorite Ke$ha song: I guess "Take It Off." What’s your favorite place? Ah man, the tattoo/piercing parlor I go to. What was the last comic book you read? It was one of the Silent Hill ones on the app years ago. What’s the worst trouble you’ve ever gotten into? Probably when I ran away from home in like middle school. Do you know anyone your age who has a child? A good number, but I mean I'm 23 so that's not exactly strange. Ever had a friend online for a long time without seeing a photo of them? A few. The last time you threw up, what caused it? Medicine that was known for nausea. Did you have any foreign exchange students at your high school? I don't think so? Any foods from other countries you would like to try but haven’t yet? Not off the top of my head. Do you think the world would be more peaceful without any religion? Maybe. Probably. Idk. Have you kept the same icon here for a long time? Yeah. I don't really take pictures of myself, so. Why did you choose your icon, anyway? It's the most accurate representation of how I look on the daily. And it's not horrendous. Does it hurt your feelings when people talk shit about things you love? Sometimes. It doesn't hurt my feelings, but rather it makes me deathly embarrassed because I feel stupid for liking it and like they're making fun of a part of me. Can you be friends with people with opposing political views? Yes. Are there any fandoms you used to be in, but left? I don't think I exactly "left" them, just lost big interest, like Rhett & Link/GMM. I still love the guys, but I don't watch them anymore. Warriors is another example. Do you prefer ruffly or regular potato chips? Ruffled. Do you write down your own recipes, or just commit them to memory? I don't cook. Can you do any impressions? No. What color do you want to dye your hair? Currently I want to dye it lilac, but I can't afford a professional to do that. What is a food you enjoy, but don’t have very often? Shrimp. Favorite fictional world? Wonderland. Do you carry pepper spray? No, but I want to. Have you ever had to use it? N/A Have you ever been kicked out of a public place? Why? No. Do you donate to any associations that care for animals? I don't have my own money. Have you ever worn those Drunk Goggles? Yes, in D.A.R.E. Can you agree to disagree, or usually get upset over conflicting views? It depends on the topic, but it's generally very easy for me to agree to disagree. Rodeos – entertaining, or cruel? Animal abuse. Who is the best female rocker? Why? Ohhhh good question. I like Lita Ford, for one; great singer and she fucking slays the guitar. She seems cool, too. Do you care what kind of toilet paper you use? Not really, no. Do you still have any decent arcades nearby? No. Bullfighters who get gored kind of had it coming, right? Yes. They fucking deserve it. Have you ever accidentally found porn when looking for something else? Thank God no. What do you like on your burger? Cheese, ketchup, mustard, a little bit of mayo is fine but not mandatory, pickles, and very little onion is okay. What do you NOT like on your burger? Lettuce and tomato. Do you like 'loose meat’ sandwiches? Like sloppy joes? Yeah. Have you ever seen an unwrapped mummy in person? No, but that'd be pretty fucking cool. What things have people shamed you for? Besides the obvious disagreements like political subjects, I don't know. Do you always reply to private messages? (On any website) Yes, unless it's spam or advertisement. Are there any 'adult stores’ in your area? I wouldn't know. Have you been inside of them/shopped there before? No. Who was your favorite actress to play Morticia Addams? Anjelica Huston. What is the next film you want to rewatch? Idk. I don't really watch TV or movies to begin with. What is the next film you want to see for the first time? I've been wanting to see Jacob's Ladder for a very long time, but I have to find a time I actually *really* feel like it to possibly enjoy it. A movie you love even though it’s cheesy? I'm sure there's something, but idk. Share any song lyrics you misheard? When I heard "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix for the first time, I swore the lyrics were "excuse me while I kiss this guy" instead of "kiss the sky." What was the last song you heard for the first time and enjoyed? I both enjoy "Bad Girl" by Avril Lavigne and see it cringy as fuck at the same time. Who are some of your favorite female fictional characters, and why? Heather Mason from Silent Hill 3 is up high 'cuz she's a badass, CYNDER FROM THE LEGEND OF SPYRO SERIES BECAUSE SHE'S COOL AS ALL HECKIN' HECK AND ALSO #AESTHETIC, and I've fallen more and more in love with Tyrande Whisperwind from World of Warcraft now that she's become vengeance-crazed and more interesting than she already was. Oh, and then there's Bayonetta. Why? You know why. A character (in anything) you wish hadn’t been killed off? In recent news, BRING BACK STAN THE MOTHERFUCKING WATER MAN, MARK. Have you ever had to hit up several stores in search of one item? What was it? I'm sure I have at some point. Do you have any calluses on your feet? From when I used to walk outside for hours, you have no idea- What was your last big purchase? A plane ticket. Have you ever eaten grits? I HATE THEM SO MUCH. Do you always dress right after a shower, or do you like to chill in your towel/robe for a while? I put clothes on right away. Have you ever looked up your state’s laws and read them? I don't think so. Have you ever had to talk to a lawyer? I feel like I did have to once for something...? Have you ever been in pain so bad you passed out? No. I sincerely don't know how I didn't when I had to get that cyst drained, though. I have no words for that pain. Can you have kids? Well, physically, yeah. Doesn't mean I ever will or even want to. If you could get rid of one of your allergies, which one would it be? POLLEN. Do you have any cousins that look like you? No. Who do you know who is dating someone that looks way too old for them? Idk. Have you ever gone on a Facebook deleting spree? Yeah. What's a good example of "don’t knock it till you try it"? Waffles with peanut butter spread over them with syrup. What is surprisingly painful? Hm. "Surprisingly." OH, something I say as well as many others: Getting your nose pierced is more painful than you'd think compared to other piercings. Which person shaped you the most? Probably Jason. Or Mom. Have you ever been 4-wheeling? Yes. Do you live anywhere near the woods? There's a wooded area beyond the field. Do you have any important anniversaries you celebrate? Mine and Sara's. Can you rap? I don't even have to try to say no. Do you know how to use a DSLR camera? Yes. Tell me about the sickest you’ve ever felt. Oh man... I remember in elementary school, 3rd grade I think, I had the weirdest 3-day "sickness" where I felt every single moment like I was right on the very verge of vomiting. I went to the ER on the third night, but they couldn't detect what was wrong. Next day, I woke up miraculously fine. Those days were horrifying for someone who is terrified of vomiting. Any important birthdays coming up? My nephew's isn't far off. If you could play one instrument flawlessly, what would it be? Electric guitar. Have you ever heard of Hollywood Undead? Do you like them? I love some songs, like others, don't enjoy or care about a handful, and then truly haven't heard most. Have your friends ever told you something really personal? Was it weird? Well yeah, close friends do that often. It's not weird. Has anyone ever called you a coward before? Who called you that? No. Have you ever written a whole song before? What was the title to it? No. Are you a Jeffree Star fan? Or no? Do you think he’s awesome/dumb? I loooove that funky alien man. I find his work ethic incredibly inspiring and he seems so super accepting and is just very radiant and positive. Has your grandmother ever made you anything? Not including cookies. I don't think so.

[squisherific]

Worth The Wait

Rating: T

Summary: The war is over. Gray is on his bed, and Juvia is in his bathroom. Will she ever come out? This is a terrible description. Gray x Juvia. Gruvia. 

Read on FF.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12429437/1/Worth-The-Wait

A/N: For Gruvia Week. This isn’t technically based on any prompt, because I’m a rebel, or I should say, because I’ve had this headcanon for a while, and I’m too lazy to try and make it fit a specific prompt, but I guess passion may fit the best, so enjoy lol. ^__^

A couple of weeks had gone by since the great war against Zeref’s army and Acnologia had ended. Things were slowly but surely falling back into place. Magnolia and several of the neighboring towns, which had suffered the greatest damage from the battles fought on their grounds, were being rebuilt stone by stone and brick by brick.

Many of the mage guilds had pitched in with the repairs, including the mages from areas thankfully untouched by the terrors of battle. Gray supposed the hard work was made quite a bit easier by the fact that they were all being treated like heroes by the locals. It was a desperate battle among mages, dragon slayers, demons, demon slayers, and even dragons, but it was the regular townspeople that usually paid the highest prices during times of war. Homes were lost, families separated, towns decimated, and casualties numbered in the thousands. And those elements were just the most visible consequences currently being dealt with. However, the emotional and mental trauma was yet another enemy left behind for those survivors to keep on fighting even when the magical threats had ceased to be.

That was war, and that was what Gray Fullbuster himself had only nearly just survived. In fact, technically, he hadn’t survived at all. He had died. He knew he had, because he had done it to himself. When he had forced that ice blade through his abdomen, the point of the sword feeling adversely hot as it pierced his body, he was sure that those were to be his final moments on Earthland. And yet, here he was two weeks later, his house in mid-repair and expansion, while the source of his survival had currently, and seemingly made camp in his bathroom.

How had he gotten to this point? Well, it was kind of a long story. But, as Gray lay bare-chested on his bed, the lights dimmed in what Gray felt was an inviting way, and his room looking unusually tidy, he certainly had time to mull it all over as he heard another mysterious object clatter to his bathroom floor. He frowned, and sighed and thought.

During the war, he had a few close calls. Enemies tougher beyond any he had previously faced were hell bent on destroying not just him, but everything he held dear in his life. Not being a stranger to loss was an understatement where Gray was concerned. If not for Fairy Tail, loss would be more familiar to him than most any other experience in his life. Yet during the war Fairy Tail, too, was something he almost lost, and it would have been his own fault had it happened.

Gray had done something which he had felt was unforgivable. He had sought to fight and kill one of the most important people in his life, his best friend Natsu. You could argue he hadn’t been in his right mind. You could argue that circumstances made his actions understandable, and perhaps even justified in a way. But Gray knew better. He had acted rashly and wrongly. And he had almost ruined one of the bonds he had held most dear, and he was determined to pay for that grievous error with his life.

Gray felt in that moment, when standing in front of Zeref, and after having heard what Happy had said about Natsu’s life being in jeopardy, that if he could just stop Zeref, no matter the cost to himself, then he could have peace. He didn’t need anything or anyone else at that point. Too much had gone wrong. He had made too many mistakes along the way. He had hurt too many people. And too many people had been hurt for, and because of him. It was his last resort. It was what he had been preparing for. Should the worst happen, he always had Lost Iced Shell.

A lost attribute spell was one of the most difficult and dangerous types of magics one could use, for implementing such a technique usually came with a hefty price. He hadn’t wanted to use it. How many times had he been on the brink of casting Iced Shell in the past, and been saved by others, or stopped in mid-cast when he remembered what it would cost his friends were he to die? No, he didn’t want anyone else to cry over him. But that was the beauty of the Lost attribute. He had found a way to remove that unpleasant side effect when leaving his life behind as ice. This way would be a clean escape. And that was the core problem. It was an escape.

But thankfully, that course of events never came to be, for that precious friend stepped into things once again, and reminded him what it was to be a part of Fairy Tail. They were a family, and running away from life, no matter the reasons behind it, wasn’t the answer. And every day since the war concluded, he had never been more grateful to still be alive.

And yet, the reason Gray had attacked Natsu, the reason he had decimated Zeref’s right-hand man Invel, the reason he had learned lost iced shell, the reason his mind had been so muddled, the reason his heart had been so pained, the reason he had pierced his body with his own ice blade, the reason he had survived it, the reason he was so glad to still be alive, and the reason he was now currently so infuriatingly nervous were all tied up with the same person. And that person had now been in the bathroom for the last half hour.

Had it really been a half hour? Gray checked the clock hanging from his bedroom wall again, and then with a sigh, lay back down on his pillow, hands folded behind his head. Was she sick? Should he check on her? She was carrying an awfully big bag when she had gone in there. Was this normal? He had lived with her for six months, but he never remembered her taking this long to get ready for bed. Then again, it was never his bed she was getting ready for.

Gray didn’t know what to do with himself. Why had he done this? Inviting her to spend the night was a ridiculous idea. Why did he think things would progress naturally? When has anything ever progressed naturally between them? No matter how much he tried to control the direction their relationship went in, she always managed to veer him off course, and tonight seemed no different.

Gray had promised her an answer. That’s how this new section of their life had truly begun. He had broached the subject. He was thinking towards the future. He had wanted to live, and he had wanted it to be with her. He needed it to be with her. But for a short while, which had felt like an agonizing eternity, she had not lived. She had died in his arms. No actions he took, nor any amount of pleading had coaxed her into opening her eyes again. He was convinced that the person he had to protect at all costs, was beyond his reach. He had been too weak again. And he had paid the highest of prices. But she had succeeded where he had failed. She had saved him. Why couldn’t he do the same for her? His emotions that followed that moment, holding her limp body in his arms, were things that still haunted him in his dreams.

He had so many regrets. He felt like he had done so many things wrong. And when he was sure this loss was the one to break him - when he had tossed everything else away in his rage and his grief, she had done the unthinkable yet again, and had come back. She had lived, and his future, that one he wanted so badly to protect, was again back in motion.

Should he tell her he was about to toss that future to the winds again in order to cast lost iced shell? Should she know he was about to erase her memories of him forever, in his clumsy attempt of making amends? Should she know that in that moment as he faced Zeref he had forsaken all plans of giving her that answer, in order to truly save her and all of his other loved ones the way he believed he should have done from the start? Would she be angry? Was she ever really angry with him? He wasn’t sure, not of any of it. But he told her anyway. And she had listened, even when she had already forgiven him for all of it before he had ever uttered a single word. Because that’s how she was. She understood, she always understood.

Another odd noise rang from the bathroom. Was it a hair dryer? Had she taken a shower? Is that why she was taking so long? Forty five minutes as he checked the clock again. He looked to the side of his small bed. Had it always been this small? Could they both even fit on it?

Gray recalled her squeezing in next to him once during those six months when they had lived together. That bed had been really small, too. Yet she had managed to join him in it without him noticing. How long had she had been there before he had woken up to fine her nestled into him like that? That had unnerved him. Not because he had disliked it. No, quite the opposite, and that was the problem,. He was not ready to take the relationship in that direction yet. He still had so many things left to do. But, she had again steered their ship off course, and he needed to right it immediately, or he would be in very dangerous waters indeed. But now, Gray was ready to finally take that next step, and explore the uncharted territory, because the other destinations had already been settled.

When the fighting had ended, and everyone and everything seemed to be taking a much needed intermission, Gray had pulled her aside so he could talk to her privately. That’s when he had confessed to all he had attempted to do, all he had regretted, all he had wished for, and all that he had felt, and especially for her. He didn’t know why he had been so especially scared when telling her things that he not only long since felt, but things that she likely long since knew. Originally, the conversation was supposed to be about him accepting her feelings, but things had now turned into him wanting her to accept his. Was there ever a chance she’d push him away, or deny him that happiness? Of course not. That’s partly why he loved her. But it was a relief that they were no longer just thoughts, feelings or actions, but now also words that she could be sure existed in his heart.

Gray’s mind wandered back to the bed. When she had slipped into his the last time, he knew she just wanted to be near him. She told him as much, and he had believed her. And that was partly what worried him now as the clock neared midnight. Is it possible she misunderstood something about his invitation that evening? Surely not. But she was so unpredictable. Sometimes she seemed miles ahead of him in her desires, and at other times, she seemed naively behind.

The problem was, Gray didn’t quite know where he and Juvia stood at the moment. They were in this weird limbo of a new relationship, but they seemed emotionally so far past that point, that it was unfair to classify it as such. They used to live together, and Gray wanted to live together again. That’s why he was expanding his house. So, there would be room not just for Juvia, but hopefully, for whatever life blessed them with in the future.

They had been spending much more time together since the war ended. Gray had hinted at the reasons for expanding his home. He even had a ring stashed away, waiting for the right moment. And as far as their physical relationship went, kissing had become an incredibly frequent occurrence. They had done a few other things as well, when they could catch some time alone in between rebuilding Magnolia. All those things were wonderful things. Gray wanted more of them. But nothing had really been discussed.

So, when Gray told Juvia to come over that evening, and she offered to bring dinner, Gray had advised her to bring an overnight bag as well, with some essentials, in case she got “tired” and wanted to spend the night.

Juvia had looked confused for a split second, but then Gray thought he saw that look of dawning comprehension hit her. He knew he saw her flush. He knew he was a bit flushed himself. When Juvia came by earlier that night, it didn’t look like she was spending the night, her overpacked baggage was more like she intended to stay the month. Dinner had been hurried and awkward. Gray was nervous, Juvia was doubly so from what he could tell. He had lost count of how many forks she had dropped. Was this really the same girl who had so casually snuck into his bed once before?

And that’s why Gray was worried. This was not the first time Juvia spoke a big game, but when things started actually happening, she became surprisingly oblivious and shy, but endearingly so, too. Because that meant Gray was able to take the lead, and that’s how he liked it. When they had finished dinner, they dawdled some time away chatting while washing and drying the dishes together. And then there was nothing left to do but get ready for bed. They had both had a very long day of working on repairs to the guild, but Gray knew sleep was the last thing on either of their minds. Juvia insisted Gray use the bathroom first, and now, as the clock had long passed midnight, his bladder dearly thanked her for that kindness. He didn’t think he would have lasted until now if not for that.

But he really was getting very fretful. Having all this time to think things through was playing havoc with his emotions. He had assumed Juvia knew what was insinuated by his invitation tonight. But what if he was wrong? What if she finally got out of the bathroom after whatever mysterious ritual she was currently performing, and headed for the couch instead? He would be completely mortified. And if she wasn’t ready for this next step, he didn’t want to force her. Maybe he shouldn’t even be on the bed. Maybe he should take a spot on the floor instead. Why was he jumping to the conclusion that they were going to sleep together? He hadn’t even outright asked her.

This is so frustrating! And what on earth is taking her so long?!

Gray wanted to pull his hair out. He wanted to scream into his pillow. He wanted to pace the room until he wore a hole into the wooden floor. Because he was tired of waiting. Not just tonight, but ever since she had crawled into his bed all those months ago. Ever since she had first moved into his home after Fairy Tail disbanded. Ever since he had cried into her chest and she consoled him on that snowy hill. Ever since she first called him Gray-sama. Ever since he accidentally grabbed something he shouldn’t have on that rainy day when he met her. Because this urge wasn’t born from love, but love had grown to strongly accompany it, which had made the desire so much more unbearable.

Gray heard another clatter of something on his bathroom tiles. He had, had enough of waiting. He sprung from the bed, and hurried towards the door. Without knocking, he found the door surprisingly unlocked. The view that met his eyes was strange in a multitude of ways.

Juvia was bent over in a compromising position made even worse by the fact that she was wearing a very skimpy piece of underwear indeed, with a blue, practically transparent frilly thing draped over it. Her arms were attempting to grab a big pile of other frilly and delicate pieces of lingerie that looked to have fallen from their precarious place on the side of the tub into the tub. There were haircare and makeup products and tools strewn all over his tiny bathroom sink and on the floor along with several magazines, one of which Gray could see was open to a page with the headline, “7 Quick Tips To The Most Beautiful You.”

Quick, huh?, Gray thought ruefully to himself.

Juvia, clearly not having heard Gray open the door, jumped at the sound of his voice as he said her name, and sent the delicate pieces of underwear scattering back into the thankfully dry tub. She swiftly turned around, her eyes wide in dismay. Gray got a look at her front this time, which was not that much more covered than the back. Her breasts were spilling out of her bra, which was also layered with the slinky baby doll, and her hair was meticulously curled. Gray could tell that even her face had been done up with God knew how many layers of makeup judging by the amount of products behind her, but in that odd way where it looked as if she wasn’t wearing much at all. She looked gorgeous, but this is preparation he’d expect for a grand ball, not his house, although, granted, her outfit wasn’t really appropriate for the general public. What was she up to?

“Gray-sama! Did you need to use the bathroom again? Juvia can get these things out of the way,“ she said hurriedly, and she began to bend over again to move her items to make space for him.

“No, I don’t need to use anything,” he said, and before he could ask anything else, Juvia, still looking quite frazzled, began bombarding him with questions.

“Oh good,” she sighed in relief, “well, as long as Gray-sama is here, which does he prefer, this blue,” she said, holding her arms wide so Gray could get a good look at her negligee, “or perhaps this black one,” she said holding another slinky piece of lingerie up in front of her, “or maybe this pink one?” as she pulled yet another piece from the massive pile. “And what about Juvia’s hair? She thought down would be best, but maybe Gray-sama likes it up instead?” and she started collecting her curls into a ponytail and clutching them there tentatively, waiting for his opinions with an anxious expression on her face.  

However, Gray didn’t answer any of her questions, and instead asked one of his own in genuine bemusement, “what are you doing?”

Juvia was already flushed, but she grew even more so at Gray’s query. She looked a bit crestfallen, though Gray didn’t understand why.

“Juvia was just getting ready for bed,” she said, trying to hitch a smile onto her face.

Gray frowned a bit at her. “It’s been over an hour,” he said. It was easy for him to sound sympathetic rather than irritated, because Juvia’s expression looked so defeated. She let her hair fall down around her shoulders again, and put the pink and black pieces of lingerie back on the overflowing pile.

“Juvia…wanted to look desirable for Gray-sama,” she admitted in a small voice and after a long pause. She was avoiding his gaze.

Gray didn’t fully comprehend this line of thinking, and he said as much. “But, you always look desirable,”  he stated bluntly, his brow furrowed. Maybe he should have said something more comforting. She had looked so upset, and she had clearly been trying so hard. But, when Juvia raised her face this time, there was a legitimate smile there now.

“Really, Gray-sama?” she asked hopefully. She looked quite touched.

Gray again didn’t really understand what was going through her head, but he was glad she looked happier. “Well, yeah.”

It seemed like she might cry at that, but Gray was glad when Juvia stood up on tip toe and kissed him instead. He kissed her back, his tongue meeting hers as he threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her closer to him. She did feel really good against his bare skin. Her hands had begun to trace the grooves of his back and he knew she could feel that pressure from him against her. This was good. This is what should have been happening an hour ago. But they were still in his bathroom. They needed to move.

He painstakingly broke the kiss enough to breath, “Do you want to come to bed?”

Her forehead against his, and her nose brushing his, she said, “yes, Gray-sama, Juvia would like that very much.”

Gray grinned, and he took her by the hand.

He needn’t have worried that they weren’t on the same page about this matter. As with all the most important things, he and Juvia were two halves of the same whole. As long as it was the two of them, everything would be ok. That night was more than ok, though. It was everything it should have been, and it was worth the wait.

The End

A/N: I told you the description was a terrible one lmao. And now I am officially out of headcanons. Thanks for reading, and I hope it’s not absolutely foolish of me to ask that if you enjoyed this to please review. ^__~

[prettylittlepsychotheo]

I Missed You - Theo Raeken

A/N: I got inspired by the last episode of Teen Wolf for this imagine, I hope you like it. I cried writing it.

WARRING: THIS CONTAINS SPOLIERS FOR EPSIODE 6 OF TEEN WOLF, DONT SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU.

Word Count: 1,384

*GIF IS NOT MINE, RIGHTFUL CREDIT TO OWNER*

Enjoy! *Request are open*

___

It's been over three months since Theo was wrongly taken to hell. You were so mad at the pack for doing that to him, sure what he did was bad, but you knew you could've helped him. You stopped talking to them for the first month, you were so upset, angry, confused and betrayed. You could never forgive them for doing that to Theo. After the first few months you started to talk to them again, you knew it wasn't healthy being alone and not talking to anyone. Theo was everything to you. Once he left, it's like he has taken a piece of your heart with him. Your grades had dropped, it didn't help that you weren't very good in most of your subjects and that's where Theo came in, he used to help you. When Theo explained everything, it just made sense to you. Once he left, you didn't see a point in trying anymore. Scott called you and told you that there was an urgent pack meeting tonight, you told him you couldn't make it, you had to catch up with homework. Scott was hesitant but he didn't push you. He knew how betrayed you felt. Almost once a week he would still apologize for doing that too you. He saw how hurt you were and he hated seeing you that. Even though you said you had to catch up on school work, that was just an excuse to get out of it. Lately you've been missing Theo more than anything. His sweater that he left at your house, the night before he was dragged to hell, is starting to not smell like him anymore. It's starting to smell like you, you've had it on almost every nice since he's been gone. It's the only thing you had left. People think you are just being dramatic about this but they don't know the bond you had with Theo, how much he has done for you. You didn't care what they thought, you just brushed it off. Wrapped in his sweater you were looking through your phone, at the pictures you had with each other. It wasn't healthy but at this point, you just didn't care. You miss him. You didn't notice the tears running down your face until you saw drops on your phone. "I'm so weak" you sighed wiping the tears away. You hated how weak you have gotten. You used to not show emotions, you were so good at hiding them. You let no one see past your barrier you have put up. There was only one person who could get past it, and he was gone.   You kept looking through your pictures until you stopped on your favorite one of you and Theo. It was from your fourth date. It was the best date ever, you never knew that someone like Theo could be so romantic. He took you on a late night picnic dinner. Taking you to his favorite spot, in the woods looking over Beacon Hills. It was so peaceful. For the first time in a long time you forgot about all the supernatural drama and just had time together. The picture was Theo kissing your cheek, wrapping his arms around you and you had a genuine smile on your face with the city night lights behind the both of you. "God I miss you," you whispered to yourself. "I wish you were still here with me" "Baby girl, I'm right here." You heard the familiar voice, looking at where it came from. You couldn't believe your eyes. He's here. He's standing right in front of you. You shook your head. This isn't real, he's gone. "No, this isn't real. You're gone. You can't be here." Your voice was broken, it came out hoarse like. "Sweetheart, it's real, I'm right here. I'm back." You got up and ran over to your boyfriend hugging him so tight, afraid that if you let go, he will be gone. "How? How are you back. I- I watched you get dragged to hell." You muffled into his chest still hugging him. "Liam brought me back. He thought I still had my powers and that they could use me to hell with the ghost riders." Theo explained kissing the top of your head. "Wait, he thought you still had your powers? You don't have them anymore?" You asked looking up to him and he just shook his head. "But since I worked with the dread doctors, I know a lot about the wild hunt and how they are stuck." God, you missed his voice and him. "I missed you so much. Hell was terrible. The things I've been through doesn't even compared to the things I did to Scott's pack." Theo stopped and look away trying to compose himself. "Y/N you can't let them send me back, I-I can't go back. It was hell down there. Every day my sister would torment me. Finding new ways, playing with my emotions. Her...her favorite trick was showing you." He stopped and his voice was starting to break. "She knew my weaknesses, she used them against me. The physical pain I felt down there was nothing to the emotional abuse." At this point he had tears running down his face. You hated seeing him like this. "Theo" you started walking toward him but you notice he stared at you with wide worried eyes and he started back up towards the wall. "No! No stop! Sister please leave me alone! I-I'm sorry!" He was having a flashback. You kept walking towards him but he reached the wall sliding down it, trying to make himself small putting his hands up. You stopped walking towards him. Every time you got close to him he would freak out more. So you did what could only do, wait till it's over. You hated seeing him like this. It broke you heart to hear him scream. His voice was so broken. Hell did terrible things to him. It broke him down, made him doubt everything. He couldn't trust anyone, not even himself anymore. Sobs broke you out of your train of thought and you noticed those sobs where Theo's. "Baby, it's me. Your sister isn't here anymore, she can't hurt you. You aren't in hell. You're free. It's a flashback, open your eyes" you slowly started walking towards Theo who had his eyes tightly shut. Your voice was soft, being sure not to scare him more. By the time you got to Theo you bent down to be face to face to him. "Baby, open your eyes. It's just me, it's y/n" You placed your hands on his arm and he looks up at you slowly with tears in your eyes, shaking. You pulled him into you, hugging him tightly. He needed comfort, he needed love. He doesn't have a family or friends, beside you. You're all he had. You couldn't imagine what he went through, and you didn't want to because you knew how bad it was. Theo wrapped his arms around your waist crying into your chest as you rocked each other back and forth  trying to calm the crying chimera down. "I promise you, I won't let them send you back. You aren't going anywhere Theo. You're here now. They will have to go through me first if they want to send you back," you reassured him playing with the end of his hair, calming him down. "I promise" It took Theo a while to calm down, you didn't mind though. After a while you heard a faint snore, Theo was out. He looked so fragile and broken. He looks drained. The Theo who's in your arms right now looks like he couldn't even hurt a fly. Things won't be easy for Theo, or for you, but you are going to do everything you can to help him. The pack isn't going to trust him, and you can't blame them, he did terrible things to them. But everyone deserves a second chance, a chance to redeem themselves. You knew Theo could redeem himself, you saw the Theo that no one else saw. The human side of Theo. You just hope everyone will at least try to give him a chance. "I love you Theo."

[thisdaynews]

Corporate America freaks out over Elizabeth Warren

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/corporate-america-freaks-out-over-elizabeth-warren/

Corporate America freaks out over Elizabeth Warren

When CNBC host Jim Cramer did a piece on money managers freaking out about Warren, the candidate grabbed the clip and tweeted above it: “I’m Elizabeth Warren and I approve this message.”

It’s led to fairly widespread frustration that Warren’s rise seems unstoppable.

“There’s really not a damn thing you can do about Warren. There is nothing,” said one prominent Wall Street hedge fund manager and Democratic bundler who is raising money for a Warren rival. “It’s the same thing Republicans went through with Trump. You look at her and think what she is going to do is going to be horrible for the country. But if you say anything about it you just make her stronger.”

This fund manager, like a half-dozen other executives interviewed for this story, declined to be identified by name for fear of being directly attacked by Warren. Some, however, are happy to ring the alarm, no matter how Warren might use their words.

“What is wrong with billionaires? You can become a billionaire by developing products and services that people will pay for,” said Leon Cooperman, a billionaire former Goldman Sachs executive who is now CEO of investment firm Omega Advisors and who predicts a 25 percent market drop should Warren become president. “I believe in a progressive income tax and the rich paying more. But this is the fucking American dream she is shitting on.”

Earlier in the campaign, executives suggested they found Warren at least a more palatable alternative to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), an avowed democratic socialist. Warren, a former Republican, has said she’s a capitalist “to my bones.” Even now, some billionaires are urging calm.

“‘Ninety-seven percent of the people I know in my world are really, really fearful of her,” billionaire Michael Novogratz told Bloomberg over the weekend. “It’s a little carried away.”

But more broadly the mood has shifted as Warren now leads Biden in some national and early state polls. And she has intensified her rhetoric toward Wall Street and the tech industry in particular.

At last week’s debate she stressed that she would no longer take any money at all from tech or Wall Street executives, after having success with tech donors earlier in the campaign.

“If we are going to talk about Wall Street and having some serious regulation over Wall Street, we should ask if people are funding their campaigns by taking money from those executives,” Warren said, an indirect dig at former Vice President Joe Biden and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, both of whom have held high-dollar Wall Street fundraisers.

“You can’t go behind closed doors and take the money of these executives and then turn around and expect that these are the people who are actually finally going to enforce the laws. We need campaign finance rules and practices.”

The current strategy among centrist, corporate-friendly Democrats is mostly to hope and pray that Biden — or perhaps Buttigieg or even Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) — can still take her out and prevent a possible Warren presidency that could upend business models and reshape entire industries.

Most are not ready to jump over to Trump, but some at least ponder the idea.

“I don’t assume all these people would go to Trump. Plenty of them think there is much more at stake than just narrow industry interests or tax rates,” a second hedge fund executive said. “There are a bunch of financial people that at the end of the day, if she’s the candidate, they will still support her. They won’t raise money for her because they can’t. But they will still support her because of what the alternative is.”

Among other things scaring corporate America and rich people, Warren has pledged to institute wealth taxes and break up tech giants and Wall Street banks. She has taken sharpest aim at the private equity industry, introducing the “Stop Wall Street Looting Act of 2019” that would essentially wipe out some of the industry’s most lucrative practices.

Much of this would be hard to enact without large majorities in both houses of Congress. But Warren could do a great deal in the regulatory world to appoint strict overseers and push much more stringent rules while rolling back the Trump administration’s deregulation efforts.

As of now, there is no organized Stop Warren strategy.

The closest thing that has emerged lately is a vague whisper campaign that former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg could ride into the Democratic primary at the last minute if it appears Biden is really failing. But even Bloomberg’s closest confidants admit there is little chance he could succeed.

“Mike’s calculation, rightly or wrongly, is that the same people who back Biden would back him,” said a person close to the former mayor. “But it’s by no means clear to him or to anyone that it’s even possible.”

Political observers view a late Bloomberg run as even less likely to succeed.

“First of all Bloomberg is older than Biden, even though he doesn’t look it,” said Greg Valliere, chief U.S. strategist at AGF Investments, the Toronto financial firm. “And the big impediment is he’s out of step with his own party. The activist base would be appalled by someone so pro-Wall Street.”

Biden’s dip in the polls — coupled with his troubling report of just $9 million in cash on hand at the end of the third quarter — has anti-Warren Wall Street types looking hard at other Democrats, led for the moment by Buttigieg, who has built a strong core of well-heeled fundraisers led by hedge fund manager Orin Kramer.

According to recently released figures, Buttigieg raised around $25,000 from executives at finance firms including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan and hedge fund giants like Bridgewater, Renaissance Technologies and Elliott Management in the third quarter. And he raised around $150,000 from donors who described their occupation as “investor.”

Overall, Buttigieg is now in much stronger financial shape than Biden with around $23 million in the bank at the end of the third quarter to around $9 million for the former vice president. Klobuchar has just $3.7 million, which leads many big donors to think she doesn’t have a shot to last long after early voting in Iowa and New Hampshire next year.

Buttigieg raising significant cash from Wall Street executives may make him a target of both Warren and Sanders. But a Buttigieg campaign official said it would not have an influence on his policies toward the industry. “People are coming to us because of Pete’s message and they are seeing and hearing real excitement and enthusiasm around him,” the official said. “We have over 600,000 individual donors to this campaign and our grassroots energy is very, very strong. We have events where people give more money and events where people give $10 or $15 and people who give $1 or $2 online.”

Perhaps the biggest hope among centrist Democrats is not that Biden finally catches fire again or that Buttigieg bursts to the top. It’s that Warren’s time as the front-runner takes a toll. Signs of that emerged in the Democratic debate last week as Klobuchar and others went after Warren for not being clear how she would pay for “Medicare for All” and refusing to say that she would raise taxes. Warren is now pledging to come up with a plan to pay for her plan.

Some executives also say they hope that moderate Democrats in swing Senate and House seats up in 2020 will begin to get scared of running with Warren at the top of the ticket and start to agitate harder for Biden or someone else.

“What it’s going to take is moderate Democrats in swing states and swing districts who are terrified of running with her at the top of the ticket coming out and doing something,” said a senior executive at one of Wall Street’s largest banks. “But nobody wants to piss her off. Nobody wants to be on her bad list.”

This executive said if Warren gets to the general election that Trump — whose campaign had $83 million in the bank at the end of the third quarter — would paint her as a threat to the American economy. “No one has really run opposition research on her yet. She’s skated pretty clean up till now. If you get her in the general, Trump and the RNC will paint her to the left of Mao. You look at the history of John Kerry and Michael Dukakis and Massachusetts liberals and it’s not very good.”

Read More

[oselatra]

'Survivors Guide to Prison' tackles a broken criminal justice system

More movement than movie.

Living in America means that your chances of going to jail are higher than they'd be anywhere else in the world. "Survivors Guide to Prison," the 2018 documentary film from producers David and Christina Arquette and director Matthew Cooke, provides those statistics and details the necessary steps to take if you find yourself looking at a prison sentence. It also explores the deep dysfunction in the United States criminal justice system through the tragic stories of real people who experienced it firsthand, including two men who spent decades in prison for crimes they did not commit. The film screens at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at CALS Ron Robinson Theater, and a discussion with Cooke and the Arquettes follows.

Can you give a quick summary of what "Survivors Guide to Prison" is about?

David: "Survivors Guide to Prison" is a look at our failed prison system. We follow the experience of three people who are wrongly accused. We tell their story and, through the process, give you tips on what to do if you get arrested, since you have more of a chance of going to jail in America than anywhere else in the world.

Christina: Some of the people in the film — like Bruce Lisker, for example, Reggie Cole, Susan Mellen, all of them — spent decades behind bars for murders they did not commit. But what's interesting about the film is that it doesn't just talk about the wrongly accused, but about those who did commit crimes and did go to prison, and how they're treated and how inhumane the conditions are. By the end of the film, we hope to offer up solutions and hope. That's why, at the end, we close the film by saying, "This is not just a film, it's a movement," because we hope to get a conversation going.

It's unusual to hear people who have gone to prison referred to as survivors, as opposed to inmates or prisoners. Could you tell me about the choice to frame it that way?

David: Yeah, exactly. When you say prisoner or inmate, it typically dehumanizes them. It takes away the fact that they're people who have made mistakes. But who among us hasn't? So, the idea behind that is, you know, you are a survivor if you make it through these terrible conditions. Matthew [Cooke] specifically wanted to identify it that way so that it would bring some empathy.

And saying things like this, we're not in any way trying to minimize the crimes that people have done, or the pain that the victims have gone through. But the fact of the matter is that the system is broken. It's not working.

Christina: Also, statistics-wise, there are over 5,000 jails and prisons in the United States. That's more than we have colleges and universities. The reason we decided to call people like Reggie Cole a survivor is because he actually had to kill another man while in prison to have his first case even looked at. And when they looked at his first case, they discovered he never should have been in prison in the first place. So we decided, you know, Reggie really is a real survivor. It wasn't like a joyous occasion when he was released from prison. He was scared. He didn't have resources necessarily to get himself back where he wanted. He has a daughter, and he's trying to be a great role model to her and keep himself positive.

You know, it's just horrific, some of these stories. While I know people that have gone to prison — and David taught an acting class at San Quentin, so that was his personal experience — as a mother or human being not to stand up and say something about a broken, corrupt system like this just doesn't feel right. So, that's why we got involved.

Toward the beginning, the film mentions that the average American commits three felonies a day.

Christina: Without even knowing it! Because there are so many laws on the books. Yeah, it's kind of shocking.

It is shocking. What would you say to someone who might contend that if you don't commit any crimes, you don't have anything to worry about?

Christina: That it could happen to you. Same as Reggie says very clearly in the film. There's also another case that's laid out where a grandfather and his daughter enrolled her child in the wrong school district and the grandfather went away and never came home. I mean, it's insane. I think that it could happen to you. It could happen to anybody.

Can David talk about his experience teaching the acting class?

David: I went to San Quentin with Sundance Channel, and the people that I was working with were making films about their experience. Short films. It was eye-opening. How hungry for knowledge they were, how excited they were to create. They really got joy out of it.

I mean, that's part of the process. You have to give people a direction and some self-worth, and we're such a society of punishment. And the punishment model has been proven not to work. In the way we raise our kids, and just in society in general.

It was great working with them. There were also moments where I had them doing an improvisational exercise, and it got a little tough, you know ... they're tough dudes. You don't want someone to make fun of someone during an acting class and then they get out and really get upset with each other. So it was tricky. But it was a great experience.

If punishment doesn't work, what does?

David: Rehabilitation, therapy, the arts. When victims of crimes present their experience.

Christina: Restorative justice programs.

David: Yeah.

Christina: They're very hard to execute. But you see them in the film; you'll see a mother who lost her son to a violent crime, and she's speaking to a group of men and women who committed crimes very similar. There's a healing process that happens between the victim and the offender, and that healing process has proven to be incredibly effective and is one of the many programs that we discuss. There's all sorts of things — meditation and, like David said, arts and therapy and education.

David: If you get a master's degree in prison, you have a zero percent chance of returning to prison. Everyone who's done the master's degree in prison has never returned. So that alone just shows you.

What are you most proud of about the experience of making the film?

Christina: We did have the chance to take it to Capitol Hill and screen it there. That was pretty unbelievable. We were all just sort of taken aback by that experience.

David: For me, it's been seeing Christina become a producer on her first film, and she just knocks it out of the park. She was so unbelievable. That was my proudest moment.

Christina: Awww! And now being able to bring it home to Arkansas, that's really fun, because I'm from Arkansas. It means the world to me. We got to participate in the Bentonville Film Festival — which was an unbelievably well run film festival — and now, to be part of the Arkansas Cinema Society is just really special.

Since the mission of Filmland is to inspire Arkansas filmmakers, do you have any advice for local filmmakers?

David: This whole business ultimately comes down to self-drive. You propel your own career and experience, and it's full of rejection, but you can't take it personally. You just have to keep going. What's great about something like the Arkansas Cinema Society is that it's community-based, so if you involve people within the community that have been there before, find mentors that you can ask questions, and use the resources within your community — write a script specifically for a location that you know, or cast people that you work with or that are in the film or theater community — it just all comes together when you use those resources.

Christina: When I was a college student, I had a mentor named Dennis Swanson who was really a legend in the television news business, and the greatest piece of advice he ever gave to me was: Never be scared to ask. The worst thing you're going to hear is 'no.' Even to this day, when I email people and I'm kind of like "Oh, I don't know if I want to ask," the worst case you're going to get is "no." And that's not that big of a deal. Even if you get a no, there's always going to be a yes somewhere else.

'Survivors Guide to Prison' tackles a broken criminal justice system